Normalcy is the state of things being normal, regular, or back to how they usually are. After a week of snow days, students feel a sense of normalcy when school reopens and their regular routine returns. When a family moves into a new house, it might take a few weeks before things feel like they've returned to normalcy, with everyone settled into their rooms and knowing where to find things.

The word became famous during Warren G. Harding's 1920 presidential campaign, when he promised Americans a “return to normalcy” after World War I and a devastating flu pandemic. People were exhausted from years of crisis and wanted life to feel regular and predictable again.

You'll often hear normalcy used after disruptions like storms, illnesses, or major changes. A town might work to restore normalcy after a hurricane by rebuilding homes and reopening schools. A student recovering from a broken leg might long for the normalcy of playing soccer with friends again.

Some people prefer the word “normality” instead, which means the same thing. Both words work perfectly well, though normalcy is more common in American English. Either way, the idea is the same: that comfortable, familiar feeling when life returns to its usual rhythm.