Final answer:
Clearly defined norms that are enforced by formal sanctions when violated are called laws, which are specific and strictly enforced formal norms essential to social institutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Clearly defined norms of a society that provide punishment through formal sanctions by a ruling authority when violated are known as laws. These formal norms are the established, written rules that are the most specific and clearly stated of the various types of norms, and they are the most strictly enforced. Laws are essential to many social institutions and serve different purposes depending on the sociological perspective, such as functionalist, conflict, or symbolic interactionist views. For example, murder is considered immoral, and it is punishable by law, which is a formal norm in society. In contrast, certain behaviors such as etiquette and customs may be guided by informal norms or folkways, which do not carry formal sanctions.