normative

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈnɔrmətɪv/ UK /ˈnɔːmətɪv/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
relating to or prescribing a norm or standard

Ethics is a normative discipline, concerned with how people ought to act.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · relating to or prescribing... prescriptive standard regulativeevaluative

Opposites

descriptivenonnormative

Word family

Derived forms normativelynormativity

Related forms norm normal

Etymology

From norm + -ative, ultimately from Latin norma ('rule, standard, carpenter's square').

norma Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# normative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈnɔrmətɪv
**IPA (UK):** ˈnɔːmətɪv

## Meanings
1. relating to or prescribing a norm or standard

## Examples
- Ethics is a normative discipline, concerned with how people ought to act.

## Synonyms
- prescriptive
- standard
- regulative
- evaluative

## Antonyms
- descriptive
- nonnormative

## Derived Forms
- normatively
- normativity

## Related Forms
- norm
- normal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: norma

## Etymology
From norm + -ative, ultimately from Latin norma ('rule, standard, carpenter's square').

## AI Etymology
Normative comes from norm + -ative, ultimately from Latin norma ('rule, standard, carpenter's square'). The suffix is part of the word's derivational shape, marking the final grammatical or semantic role while the base supplies the central meaning. As an adjective, it carries the sense "relating to or prescribing a norm or standard", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Latin norma. Derivative forms include normatively, normativity; related words include norm, normal.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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normative

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