typify

verb

typ·​i·​fy ˈti-pə-ˌfī 

typified; typifying

transitive verb

1

: to represent in typical fashion : to constitute a typical mark or instance of

realism … that typified his earlier work

—Current Biography

2

: to embody the essential or salient characteristics of : be the type of

typification

ˌti-pə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

noun

Examples of typify in a Sentence

His heroic actions typified the courage of all the firefighters at the scene.

The decor typifies the elegance of royal residences.

He typifies what a professional athlete should be.

Gothic architecture is typified by soaring rooflines and stained glass.

Recent Examples on the Web

And it was really typified by the fact that almost every day, a crew member would come up to me and say, ‘Thank you so much for shooting this here. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 18 June 2025

Grand villas are typified by their vast dimensions and sophisticated architectural style. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 June 2025

Thanks, perhaps, to Mark Twain, who perfected the simultaneous disdain for and fascination with French culture that now typifies the American attitude. —Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025

The calm, cool precision that has typified Yamamoto’s starts this season was not in evidence Sunday. —Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 1 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for typify

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify

Kids Definition

typify

verb

typ·​i·​fy ˈtip-ə-ˌfī 

typified; typifying

1

: represent sense 2

2

: to have or include the special or main characteristics of