Norma

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A principle or rule that is accepted as a standard of behavior or practice in a given context
2. A typical pattern or benchmark that serves as a model for comparison or evaluation in various situations
3. A generally recognized guideline that influences actions, decisions, or standards within a society or field

Etymology: Latin "norma" meant a carpenter's square, a tool with a right angle used to check that wood and stone were true. Its use as a rule or pattern came later, so the English word "norma" carries the physical tool at its heart: the idea of a fixed standard began as a literal measuring instrument. English took the word directly from Latin, which is why it looks so unlike the everyday "norm" beside it. "Norm" and "norma" are doublets, two words descended from the same Latin source that entered English by different routes. "Norm" came in through French and settled into ordinary speech, while "norma" was borrowed straight from Latin and kept the more formal, learned flavour. Both now mean the same thing, so "norma" reads as the more deliberate, specialist choice for "accepted standard practice."

Synonyms: standard, criterion, benchmark, model, guideline