zero norm, n.

zero-norm
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zero-norm_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# zero normnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zero norm mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zero norm. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the noun zero norm?

Fewer than 0.01occurrences per million words in modern written English

1960 | 0.0036
1970 | 0.0033
1980 | 0.0031
1990 | 0.0031
2000 | 0.0031
2010 | 0.0029

### Where does the noun zero norm come from?

Earliest known use

1960s

The earliest known use of the noun zero norm is in the 1960s.

OED's earliest evidence for zero norm is from 1966, in the Economist.

### Nearby entries

1. zero growth, n. 1907–
2. zero hour, n. 1915–
3. zero-hours, adj. 1988–
4. zeroing, n. 1906–
5. zeroize, v. 1894–
6. zero-length, adj. 1945–
7. zero-line, n. 1834–
8. zero magnet, n. 1890–
9. zero mark, n. 1821–
10. zero meridian, n. 1849–
11. zero norm, n.1966–
12. zero option, n. 1976–
13. zero-order, adj. 1919–
14. zero plane, n. 1842–
15. zero point, n. 1789–
16. zero-point energy, n. 1913–
17. zero population growth, n. 1955–
18. zero post, n. 1908–
19. zero-power, adj. 1950–
20. zero-rate, v. 1972–
21. zero-rated, adj. 1972–

## Meaning & use

Economics.

1. 1966–
   (In a period of pay restraint) the principle that the percentage increase in wages should be zero in all but exceptional circumstances; = nil norm n.
   1. 1966

      > There is no bogy-man so dismal to those who run Britain's economy as the dreaded Zero Norm, the spectre who is supposed to rule over pay negotiations in the six-month period of ‘severe restraint’ that replaces the total pay freeze from New Year's Day.

      Economist 17 December 1214/1
   2. 1976

      > A zero norm which equalizes everybody is easier to endure.

      F. Zweig, New Acquisitive Society ii. i. 80
   3. 2000

      > After devaluation, attempts to introduce a zero norm..all led to the strikes and wages explosion.

      M. Rhodes in M. Ferrera & M. Rhodes, Recasting European Welfare States 167
   economics
   1. rigidity 1896–
      Economics. The tendency (of wages, prices, etc.) to remain static despite changing economic conditions; an instance of this. Cf. wage-rigidity, n.
   2. wage-fixing 1928–
   3. wage-rigidity 1930–
   4. wage freeze 1942–
      A temporary fixing of wages at a certain level; cf. pay freeze, n. and freeze, n.¹ (2b).
   5. nil norm 1966–
      (During times of economic hardship) the principle that wage increases are not allowed.
   6. zero norm 1966–
      (In a period of pay restraint) the principle that the percentage increase in wages should be zero in all but exceptional circumstances; = nil norm, n.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Frequency

zero norm typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.

zero norm is in frequency band 2, which contains words occurring between 0.001 and 0.01 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zero norm, n., 1960–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1960 | 0.0036
1970 | 0.0033
1980 | 0.0031
1990 | 0.0031
2000 | 0.0031
2010 | 0.0029

Originally published as part of the entry for zero, n. & adj.

zero, n. & adj. was revised in June 2018.