typify

verb

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

transitive verb

1
: to represent in typical fashion : to constitute a typical mark or instance of
In Boston, the highly recognizable Brahmin accent … typifies the speech of New England gentry …Valerie Fridland
2
: to embody the essential or salient characteristics of : be the type of
Italian typifies the Romance languages.
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.
This typifies the drive to make stadiums belong. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026 The city’s exotic mix of Arab, Berber, African, and European cultures—Morocco was a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956, and French is still widely spoken—gives it a unique feel that’s typified by the ambience of the quietly opulent La Mamounia hotel. Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025 McKivitz said Pleasants typifies the strength of the 2025 49ers, where backups including quarterback Mac Jones, tight end Jake Tonges and others have picked up the slack when key players go down. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025 Perhaps the first big style shift of the psychoanalytic era came in the years after the First World War, with the rise of androgynous looks typified by the boyish profile of the flapper. Leslie Jamison, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Typify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typify. Accessed 7 Jan. 2026.

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

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