new normal
/ˌn(j)u ˈnɔɹm(ə)l/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.99 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A current prevailing situation which has emerged recently, that differs dramatically from the previous one and is expected to remain.
American usage
noun
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social changes.
Example Sentences
- "The new normal for this country is simply to survive economically."
- "However, the abnormal condition may last for a few years, and the tendency to return to the former balance may never be more than partially realized. That is to say, the abnormal situation may persist until it becomes a new normal."
- "Well, it is a fact that in most of the food businesses your sales have increased very greatly in the past few years. Whether this is a permanent new level, and whether we are some day going back to what we call a normal level or did call a normal level, I do not know. Maybe this is a new normal and, of course, there is a lag between the time farm products go down, and the time that a processed food product goes down, and the length of that time lag is dependent upon the complexity of the processes through which the basic commodity goes, until it reaches the form in which it gets to the consumer."
- "Clothing styles lead us quickest into new normals and out of old ones, as we can see quite readily by looking over the pictures in old magazines and books."
- "I hope you will comply willingly; it will speed the day when I can bow out and life can get back to normal—a new normal, free of the Authority, free of guards, free of troops stationed on us, free of passports and searches and arbitrary arrests."
- "After nine months of pregnancy, I'm sure you're ready to call your body your own and return to normal. The truth is, you probably won't feel "normal" for a while, especially if you're nursing. Even then, your new normal may turn out to be somewhat different from your old normal. […] Your body deserves time and attention during the weeks and months after your baby's birth so it can create the new normal as quickly and comfortably as possible."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌn(j)u ˈnɔɹm(ə)l/
- British English: /ˌnjuː ˈnɔːml̩/
Usage
- American usage