typical

adjective

typ·​i·​cal ˈti-pi-kəl How to pronounce typical (audio)
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 noun
typicalness noun
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 In addition to typical water activities like fishing, swimming, and kayaking, there's also plenty to explore in town, including art and antique shops, farmer's markets, wine tastings, live music, and great restaurants. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 There is no staging, no open houses, and none of the disruptions when listing through a typical real estate agent. Kc Property Group, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 At the same time, much of a typical IT pro’s job involves complex and labor-intensive work such as setting up computers, provisioning apps to onboard new employees and staying on top of patches, updates and configuration changes across hundreds of SaaS apps and other systems. Douglas Murray, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Men have a big part to play: One study conducted in 2022 by the National Bureau of Economics Research found that in countries like Iceland and Sweden, where men had a higher participation rate in typical housework and childcare, the fertility rate was 1.8 or higher. TIME, 1 Mar. 2024 The intensity of your child's reaction depends on their temperament and their typical routine. Karen Horsch, Parents, 1 Mar. 2024 Adrienne Roberts The Michigan Public Service Commission on Friday approved a $92 million electricity rate increase for Consumers Energy, which will result in a $1.53 increase to the average monthly bill for a typical residential customer. Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Scared and self-loathing, his performance shows how tragedies and incredible stories happen not just to extraordinary heroes or individuals predisposed to be exceptional, but to typical people with strengths, flaws, and insecurities. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 This goes beyond the typical bachelor’s degree, requiring additional coursework to deepen your expertise in accounting and business. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'typical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of typical was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near typical

Cite this Entry

“Typical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typical. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

typical

adjective
typ·​i·​cal ˈtip-i-kəl How to pronounce typical (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce typical (audio)
: conforming to a type
a typical specimen
typical symptoms of a disease

More from Merriam-Webster on typical

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