typical

adjective

typ·​i·​cal ˈti-pi-kəl 

1

a

: combining or exhibiting the essential characteristics of a group

a typical New England winter

their typical response

the typical college experience

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 of typical

• normal
• average
• standard
• usual
• 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

The rental is free for six months, which is the typical length of time a bassinet is used before the baby is too big for it or is able to get onto their hands and knees independently. — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 20 July 2026

The company behind the beer Sam Adams told NBC Boston its Boston Taproom ran out of Samuel Adams Boston Lager one weekend because of the Tartan Army, which drank four times as much beer as is consumed on a typical four-day weekend. — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 19 July 2026

While a typical weekend sees 300 to 320 slabs of ribs prepped per location, the World Cup topped 400 at each of the chain’s three restaurants. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 19 July 2026

To further change things up from a typical white Air Force 1, Morant’s pearly pair includes thick rope shoelaces instead of the standard flat cotton look. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 19 July 2026

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

Rhymes for typical

• atypical
• untypical
• prototypical
• stereotypical

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