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

At the meet, as is typical at such competitions, Chinada tested the top two finishers in each event and a couple of others from each of the 29 races. —Tariq Panja, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2024

Such a slow pace can be typical in Washington for a Friday, as staffers eye the exits for an early weekend. —Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 19 Apr. 2024

But sales of non-luxury, or typical, homes fell 4.2% over the same period. —Byalena Botros, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2024

The story of Karen Roe, another Florida resident, is typical. —Anna Werner, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2024

Morales finds that, because en suite is not typical in her market, buyers aren't turned off when a home doesn't have it. —Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2024

Wealth for the typical Black family increased by 60 percent from 2019 to 2022, thanks in part to more Black women starting companies. —Essence, 17 Apr. 2024

Atmospheric science researcher Tomer Burg pointed to computer models that six days earlier forecast several inches of rain — the typical amount for an entire year in the UAE. —Brittany Peterson, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2024

But, as is typical of Israel’s longest serving prime minister, Netanyahu’s main concern was his own image. —Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman, TIME, 9 Apr. 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