Normative
/ˈnɔːr.mə.tɪv/noun
Relating to establishing, describing, or following a standard or rule.
Did you know?Normative ultimately comes from Latin norma, a carpenter’s square, so the word’s deepest root is about measuring crookedness against a straight edge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gno-
“to know, to recognize”
Latin
Latin
norma
“a carpenter’s square; a rule or pattern”
Late Latin
Latin
normativus
“serving as a rule or standard”
Middle French
Old French
normatif
“prescribing a rule or standard”
Late 16th Century
English
normative
“relating to a rule, standard, or norm”
Modern English
English
normative
“concerned with establishing or expressing standards or norms”