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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective typical differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of typical are natural, normal, and regular. While all these words mean "being of the sort or kind that is expected as usual, ordinary, or average," typical implies showing all important traits of a type, class, or group and may suggest lack of strong individuality.

a typical small town

When is it sensible to use natural instead of typical?

While in some cases nearly identical to typical, 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

When can normal be used instead of typical?

The words normal and typical are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When would regular be a good substitute for typical?

The words regular and typical can be used in similar contexts, but regular stresses conformity to a rule, standard, or pattern.

the club's regular monthly meeting

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of typical As is typical, the children were shot from behind, but that could change, as Platell noted. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 18 June 2025 The cold, rainier weather of the last few days, more typical of March than June, continued into Tuesday, but temperatures are expected to rise as the week goes on. Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025 Here, Patrick Dennis continued a trend typical of anti-antisemitism novelists of the 1940s who brought the anti-racialist lessons of Columbia University anthropologist Franz Boas and his students into the realm of popular culture. Rachel Gordan, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2025 This choice allows the plants to make maximum use of the soil's water and nutrients resources, particularly important in the poor soils and arid climates typical of Apulia. Elisabetta Tosi, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for typical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for typical
Adjective
  • This means that some particles will decay in the normal world while their counterparts in the mirror would not.
    Zack Savitsky, Wired News, 22 June 2025
  • On Tuesdays, theater tickets at Cinemark Century Folsom 7 cost $5.50, compared to the normal ticket price of $10.99.
    Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado, Sacbee.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Such irreversibility is characteristic of the flow of heat.
    George Musser, Quanta Magazine, 13 June 2025
  • Despite the French example, military parades with tanks rolling through the streets are more characteristic of dictatorships like China, Russia and North Korea.
    Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • The ground in south Florida has been, on average, 81.8 per cent full during its six games hosted so far.
    Will Jeanes, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • It’s almost always detected via a routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a screening blood test that most men undergo every couple of years or so starting around age 50 for those with average risk.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Unlike compensation packages that competitors can readily replicate, values alignment creates a distinctive organizational signature that strongly resists imitation—genuine congruence between how leaders navigate complex decisions and how your organization operates daily.
    Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • There is very little on the menu that’s distinctive.
    Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • The standard Oakley Meta HSTN will go on sale later this summer.
    Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 20 June 2025
  • From the Beginning will be released on Sept. 12 via streaming services in standard audio and Dolby Atmos audio and can be pre-saved here.
    Ashley Iasimone, Billboard, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • While the divergence between the two is fair, its explanation lies elsewhere: Investor valuations and retail prices differ because they are driven by distinct fundamentals and considerations.
    Thibault Adrien, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • Regardless of how the Fendi role shakes up, Chavarria is leaving a distinct mark on the global fashion industry.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • This is an excellent day for business and commercial ventures, because your objectives and goals are clearer to you than usual.
    Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 22 June 2025
  • Did Bill Plaschke ghost-write these letters with his usual accurate predictions/suggestions?
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Beyond all of the twists and many, many, many turns that kept viewers tuned in every Tuesday night, the core of the show was about true female friendship and the loyalty that comes with that, no matter what.
    Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 20 June 2025
  • This milieu is both true to history and solves one of the series’ longstanding structural flaws.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Typical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/typical. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on typical

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