noun

normalcy

NAWR-muhl-see

noun

The state of being normal; a return to usual, stable conditions.

"After the storm, the town slowly returned to normalcy."

"The company is hoping for a return to normalcy after the merger chaos."

How to Use Normalcy

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA state of things being normal or back to usual — often used after a period of disruption.

Common mistake

Some style guides consider "normality" the more traditional British form, though "normalcy" is now widely accepted, especially in American English.

UK vs US

"Normality" is more common in British English; "normalcy" is more common in American English, though both are understood everywhere.

Easily confused with

normality →

Common pairings

return to normalcy a sense of normalcy

Word Forms

normalcies plural

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

After the storm, the town slowly returned to _____.

Etymology

Formed from "normal" plus the suffix "-cy." Though originally used in mathematics, it became widely popular in the US after President Warren G. Harding used it in a famous 1920 speech about "a return to normalcy."

Synonyms

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normalhood normality normaldom normalness

Antonyms

abnormalcy abnormality

Related Words

abnormality anomaly normality weirdness strangeness

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