norm

 
Pronunciation: /nɔːm/

noun

  • 1 (the norm) something that is usual, typical, or standard: strikes were the norm
  • (usually norms) a standard or pattern, especially of social behaviour, that is typical or expected: the norms of good behaviour in the Civil Service
  • a required standard; a level to be complied with or reached: the 7 per cent pay norm had been breached again
  • 2 Mathematics the product of a complex number and its conjugate, equal to the sum of the squares of its real and imaginary components, or the positive square root of this sum.
  • an analogous quantity used to represent the magnitude of a vector.

verb

[with object]
  • adjust (something) to conform to a norm.

Origin:

early 19th century: from Latin norma 'precept, rule, carpenter's square'