normcore

[ nawrm-kawr ]

noun

1. 1. a fashion style or way of dressing characterized by ordinary, plain clothing with no designer names, often a reaction against trendy fashion.
   2. clothes that conform to this style:

      I wear normcore on weekends—usually a t-shirt and jeans.

2. 1. a subculture that embraces things that are simple, ordinary, or mainstream, or that do not stand out as being trendy:

      Normcore moves away from being cool and opts for a lack of individuality.

   2. things that conform to this value system.

adjective

1. noting or relating to a fashion style characterized by ordinary, plain clothing:

   She’s definitely a normcore dresser.

2. noting or relating to things that are simple, ordinary, or mainstream: the best normcore neighborhoods to buy an average home.

   normcore food like my mom’s meatloaf;

   the best normcore neighborhoods to buy an average home.

Word History and Origins

Origin of normcore¹

First recorded in 2005–10; from norm “a standard; average level,” or norm(al) “conforming to a standard” + core ¹ “essential part,” or -core “rebellious, antimainstream”

Example Sentences

But Schneider’s normcore exterior belies an undercurrent of intensity: There’s a particular, obsessive mindset required to conceive of and execute such an ambitious public expedition every year over two decades.

From Los Angeles Times

JT As a designer, he has a really interesting grasp on “normcore,” though usually he’s subverting or perverting it.

From New York Times

“Hip-hop heads and normcore hikers and campers. Veganism is small, but it crosses all identities. It’s for anyone who truly champions equality, who realizes they have a chance to make a difference in real time.”

From Los Angeles Times

Wilson: Coming out of hair bands into grunge, it just hit perfectly — like, oh, we’re normcore.

From Los Angeles Times

In the years since Harry and Meghan “stepped back” from their royal duties and relocated to the United States, Harry’s rebelliously normcore tendencies have only become more pronounced.

From Washington Post