norm

norm — 名詞

1. a way of thinking or behaving that most people in a particular society or group

1.名詞B2
釋義

規範；常規

社會群體接受的標準行為

a way of thinking or behaving that most people in a particular society or group accept as proper or correct

例句

Ravindra felt pressure to follow the social norms of his new workplace.

Ravindra 感到壓力，必須遵循新職場的社交規範。

collocation: social norms

The school has strict norms about how students should dress and behave.

這所學校對於學生的穿著和行為有嚴格的規範。

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • 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

❌It's a norm to say thank you after receiving a gift.
✅It's the norm to say thank you after receiving a gift.
💡When referring to what is generally expected in a society, use 'the norm' rather than 'a norm.'

2. a way of acting or a set of circumstances that most people consider usual becaus

2.名詞B2
釋義

常態

被視為典型或常見的狀況

a way of acting or a set of circumstances that most people consider usual because it is widely seen or practised

例句

Working from home three days a week has become the norm for Nadia's team.

每週在家工作三天已成為 Nadia 團隊的常態。

pattern: become the norm

For Élise, arriving late to parties was the norm among her group of friends.

對 Élise 來說，參加派對遲到在她的朋友圈中是常態。

structure: [gerund phrase] + be the norm

同義詞
  • usual

    less formal; simply describes what happens most often

  • typical

    adjective form; 'the norm' functions as a noun equivalent to 'what is typical'

反義詞
  • exception

    a case that does not follow the typical pattern

  • rarity

    something that seldom happens, opposite of what is usual

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

❌Online shopping is new norm these days.
✅Online shopping is the new norm these days.
💡The definite article 'the' is required before 'norm' in this sense.

3. an agreed level, amount, or measure used as a required target, often based on th

3.名詞C1
釋義

基準；標準

規定或同意的量化目標

an agreed level, amount, or measure used as a required target, often based on the average performance of a larger group

例句

Christopher's factory must meet strict production norms set by the industry.

Christopher 的工廠必須達到業界制定的嚴格生產標準。

collocation: production norms / meet norms

The school set a minimum reading norm of ten books per term for each student.

學校為每位學生設定了每學期至少閱讀十本書的最低閱讀標準。

同義詞
  • benchmark

    specifically a reference point used for comparison; more measurable than 'norm'

  • standard

    a broader term for any established level of quality or achievement

反義詞
  • 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

❌The factory must meets the production norms.
✅The factory must meet the production norms.
💡After modal verbs like 'must,' use the base form of the verb.

4. in statistics, the value that appears most often or represents the central point

4.名詞C1
釋義

常模；平均值

統計分布中的中心數值

in statistics, the value that appears most often or represents the central point of a set of data

例句

Jude used the statistical norm to compare his class's test results with the national data.

Jude 使用統計常模將班級的測驗結果與全國數據進行比較。

domain-specific: statistical norm

Researchers in psychology first calculate the norm for each age group, then interpret individual scores.

心理學研究者會先計算各年齡層的常模，再解讀個別的分數。

同義詞
  • average

    more common in everyday language; 'norm' is more technical in statistics

  • mean

    the precise arithmetic average; 'norm' may refer to mean or median depending on context

反義詞
  • 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.