norm
This word carries a sense of invisible pressure, describing the unspoken expectations that govern how people behave to fit into a collective. It is often used in sociological or psychological contexts to describe the baseline of "normalcy" against which deviations are measured.
In technical or mathematical settings, it shifts from a social expectation to a precise measurement of length or magnitude. In these cases, it loses its judgmental or social connotation and becomes a tool for calculating distance in a vector space.
Countable when referring to a specific rule of behavior, such as a cultural norm. Uncountable when referring to the general state of being standard or the average level of something.
Meanings
Examples
The social norm is to shake hands when meeting someone for the first time.