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

“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

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