typical

adjective

typ·​i·​cal ˈti-pi-kəl 

1

a

: combining or exhibiting the essential characteristics of a group

typical suburban houses

b

: conforming to a type

a specimen typical of the species

2

: constituting or having the nature of a type : symbolic

typicality

ˌti-pə-ˈka-lə-tē 

noun

typicalness

ˈti-pi-kəl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• archetypal
• archetypical
• average
• characteristic
• normal
• regular
• representative
• standard
• true

Choose the Right Synonym for typical

regular, normal, typical, natural mean being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average.

regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

normal implies lack of deviation from what has been discovered or established as the most usual or expected.

normal behavior for a two-year-old

typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

natural applies to what conforms to a thing's essential nature, function, or mode of being.

the natural love of a mother for her child

Examples of typical in a Sentence

It was his typical response.

It was a typical Saturday night for us.

We wanted him to have the typical college experience of living on campus.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of the boats in the event were typical kayaks and canoes that can be seen on the rivers but these came with extra bling. —Hg Biggs, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2024

The typical homebuyer paid roughly $6,000 in loan closing costs in 2022 — an amount that included paying discount points, title insurance, appraisal, credit report and other fees, according to the CFPB. —Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 8 June 2024

In the last month, Caitlin Clark has endured the typical rough initiation into the world of women’s professional basketball, and while some of it reeks of resentment, most of it has been fair. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024

That’s a typical stretch for Mr. Friedman’s adventures with his architecture and design team, a group of about 20 executives overseeing one of the priciest expansions in the history of American retail. —David Segal, New York Times, 8 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin typicalis, from typicus, from Greek typikos, from typos model — more at type entry 1

First Known Use

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

typical

adjective

typ·​i·​cal ˈtip-i-kəl 

: combining or showing the special characteristics of a group or kind

a typical school lunch

typically

-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Medical Definition

typical

adjective

typ·​i·​cal ˈtip-i-kəl 

: conforming to a type

a typical specimen

typical symptoms of a disease