Normality: meaning, definitions and examples

Describes a state where everything is usual or expected. Ideal for discussing situations returning to a balanced or standard state after a disruption.

• After the long hurricane season, the townsfolk were eager for a sense of normality.
• The doctor assured the patient that her test results showed normality.

Refers to the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms. Often used when discussing social behaviors and expectations. Can have a negative implication if the context suggests blind or unnecessary adherence.

• The new student struggled with conformity to the school's dress code.
• There was a pressure for conformity that stifled individual creativity.

Highlights how something conforms to a standard model or pattern, often used to describe characteristics or behaviors that are average or expected within a particular group or situation.

• Her response was the typicality of a seasoned professional.
• The weather patterns this year lack the typicality we are used to.

Describes a state where events occur at consistent intervals. Useful for topics involving schedules, routines, or patterns.

• The regularity of the bus schedule made commuting easier.
• Exercise should be done with regularity to see the best results.

If used in chemistry, it refers to a measure of concentration equivalent to molarity for equivalents. More commonly, however, it's used in a general sense as stated previously.

• In chemistry class, we learned to calculate the normality of a solution.

Mostly used in educational, statistical, and performance evaluation contexts. References a specific type of graph that represents normal distribution but can also indicate performance relative to a group.

• The students' test scores followed a bell curve, with most scores clustering around the average.
• In the company, employee performance evaluations often fall into a bell curve.

Primarily used in mathematical, statistical, and scientific contexts. Refers to the normal distribution, named after the mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss.

• The researchers assumed a Gaussian distribution of the measurement errors.
• Financial analysts often model asset returns using a Gaussian distribution.