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

• archetypal
• archetypical
• average
• characteristic
• normal
• regular
• representative
• standard
• 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

It is otherwise recognized for a dial that is typical to Cartier with Roman numerals, a chemin de fer minute track, and blued steel hands, although some outliers of those parameters do exist. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2024

This sort of setup is typical of an area that is, even by Italian standards, one of the great foodie regions. —Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Dec. 2024

In addition to signing these bills, Biden has also focused much of his energy on granting executive clemency in the final weeks of his term, which is typical of outgoing presidents. —Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024

As is typical in India, the bus was jam-packed with fragrant humanity, and I was squeezed into an aisle holding on for dear life as the bus lurched its way through town. —New Atlas, 24 Dec. 2024

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

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