typical

adjective

typ·​i·​cal ˈti-pi-kəl 

1

a

: combining or exhibiting the essential characteristics of a group

typical suburban houses

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

• 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

On a typical weekday, only two of them are occupied, though when the campus is crowded for, say, a football game day, they can all be staffed simultaneously. —John Wisely, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2025

As for the project’s quick turnaround amid her ongoing Short n’ Sweet Tour, Carpenter simply chose to follow her creative instincts while ignoring typical music industry guidance to space out albums with at least a few years. —Chris Malone Méndez, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

For most adults, the typical recommendation is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity. —Anthony Fredericks, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2025

From the start, Jenkin combines his typical imagistic style with the story of Nick and Liam, who go out with the skipper of the recovered boat as fishermen. —Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025

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