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 Memphis, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama, are both forecast to see a high temperature of 51 degrees on Monday – highs typical for mid-January. Allison Chinchar, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 The Colorado storm, which began Wednesday night, delivered the slushy, wet snow typical for March, one of the snowiest months in Denver, which got up to about 10 inches of snow. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 Golfers there described the typical morning ritual — logging in at 5:56 a.m. and waiting. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 But the invitation was not just the typical letter or email. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 Prices vary widely, but some online purveyors offer a typical dose for about $10 a week or less. Daniel Gilbert, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The typical American household is now spending $1,019 more every month on the same goods and services compared to three years ago, because of inflation, according to economic data from Moody's Analytics, but wages are up an average of $1,072 per month during that time, offsetting the higher prices. Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2024 Their phones are pinging constantly—one study found that the typical adolescent now gets 237 notifications a day, roughly 15 every waking hour. Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024 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

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 28 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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