typify

verb

typ·​i·​fy ˈti-pə-ˌfī How to pronounce typify (audio)
typified; typifying

transitive verb

1
: to represent in typical fashion : to constitute a typical mark or instance of
realism … that typified his earlier workCurrent Biography
2
: to embody the essential or salient characteristics of : be the type of
typification 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for typify

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of typify was in 1622

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Typify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typify. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

typify

verb
typ·​i·​fy ˈtip-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce typify (audio)
typified; typifying
1
2
: to have or include the special or main characteristics of

More from Merriam-Webster on typify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!