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

That shaves a year off the typical 120-hour bachelor’s degree. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

Indiana’s arrival in New York came with its typical sideshow. — Annie Costabile, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is the longest street race since the mid-1980s, Fox Sports reported, noting the event could take close to three hours as opposed to the typical two-hour runtime of IndyCar races. — Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Havekes’s redesign plays with perception of space through color—and consequently eliminates the often anonymous neutrality typical of many new buildings. — Valentina Lonati, Architectural Digest, 22 Aug. 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