Table of Contents
Definition of Informal Norm
(noun) A casual behavior to which an individual generally conforms.
Example of Informal Norm
- Facing toward the door in an elevator.
Informal Norm Pronunciation
Syllabification: in·for·mal norm
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /in-fOR-muhl nORm/
- British English – /in-fAWm-uhl nAWm/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ɪnˈfɔrməl nɔrm/
- British English – /ɪnˈfɔːml nɔːm/
Usage Notes
- Plural: informal norms
- The terms “informal norm” and “informal social norm” are used interchangeably in a sociological context.
- When people violate informal norms, others might respond with informal sanctions.
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Additional Information
Related Terms
Works Consulted
Griffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax.
Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).
Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).
Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).
Cite the Definition of Informal Norm
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “informal norm.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved April 27, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/informal-norm/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
informal norm. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/informal-norm/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “informal norm.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed April 27, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/informal-norm/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“informal norm.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/informal-norm/>.