norm
norm — noun
1. a way of thinking or behaving that most people in a particular society or group
a way of thinking or behaving that most people in a particular society or group accept as proper or correct
Ravindra felt pressure to follow the social norms of his new workplace.
collocation: social norms
The school has strict norms about how students should dress and behave.
In many Asian homes, removing shoes before entering is a social norm.
Yara and Joon noticed that the norms in their team encouraged honest feedback.
- standard
more formal; can refer to official or agreed criteria, not just unwritten rules
- convention
emphasises a customary practice that has developed by agreement rather than authority
- custom
focuses on long-established personal or cultural traditions, often specific to a community
- exception
something that does not follow the usual rule or standard
文法句型
the norm for + noun phrase
social/cultural/community norms
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form (norms, social norms) when referring to the unwritten rules of a group or society. The singular with 'the' (the norm) describes a single expected standard and overlaps with sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. a way of acting or a set of circumstances that most people consider usual becaus
a way of acting or a set of circumstances that most people consider usual because it is widely seen or practised
Working from home three days a week has become the norm for Nadia's team.
pattern: become the norm
For Élise, arriving late to parties was the norm among her group of friends.
structure: [gerund phrase] + be the norm
Obi found that eating lunch at his desk was the norm in the busy office.
When heavy rain becomes the norm, farmers must change their planting schedule.
文法句型
become the norm
the norm for + noun phrase
be the norm
用法筆記
Almost always used in the singular with the definite article: 'the norm.' Very common in the phrase 'become the norm' to describe a shift in what is considered typical. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 describes what is factually usual, while sense 1 describes what is socially approved.
常見錯誤
3. an agreed level, amount, or measure used as a required target, often based on th
an agreed level, amount, or measure used as a required target, often based on the average performance of a larger group
Christopher's factory must meet strict production norms set by the industry.
collocation: production norms / meet norms
The school set a minimum reading norm of ten books per term for each student.
Rachel checked whether her team's output matched the required norms for the month.
Safety norms in construction sites require workers to wear helmets at all times.
- deviation
a departure from the expected or required standard
文法句型
meet/exceed norms
set norms for + noun phrase
industry/safety/production norms
用法筆記
Common in professional and organisational contexts such as manufacturing, education, and regulation. Frequently appears with modifiers naming the domain (production norms, safety norms, performance norms). Unlike sense 1, these are often formally documented rather than unwritten.
常見錯誤
4. in statistics, the value that appears most often or represents the central point
in statistics, the value that appears most often or represents the central point of a set of data
Jude used the statistical norm to compare his class's test results with the national data.
domain-specific: statistical norm
Researchers in psychology first calculate the norm for each age group, then interpret individual scores.
Gabriel found that the norm for reaction time in the study was 0.4 seconds.
Yuna checked the national income norm before analysing her survey data.
- outlier
a data point far from the rest of the distribution
文法句型
the norm for + noun phrase
calculate/establish the norm
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in academic or technical writing. Not common in everyday conversation. In basic statistics, 'norm' often refers to the mean or median of a normally distributed set of data.