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.
The account of Archie Reed of Web Industries, a flexible materials converter and ESOP in Marlborough, Mass., typifies many of the stories. Mary Josephs, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025 The new apartment building at 3627-3633 N. Sheffield typifies this troublesome direction. Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025 Meeting in Munich This combination of carping about America, bickering with each other, and grandstanding for the cameras has typified European responses to the Russian invasion of Feb. 24, 2022, and the three years of war that followed. Dominic Green, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025 Mayotte typifies what is happening to small island nations and the Global South. Ken Silverstein, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Jan. 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 13 Apr. 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
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