neurotypical

adjective

neu·​ro·​typ·​i·​cal ˌnu̇r-ō-ˈti-pi-kəl 

ˌnyu̇r-

: not affected with a disorder or condition (such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder) that impacts the way the brain processes information : exhibiting or characteristic of typical neurological development

neurotypical students

With developmental disorders, there is an added layer of confusion because people often appear neurotypical; they function well in some situations and not in others.

—Sallie Tisdale

compare neurodivergent

neurotypical noun

plural neurotypicals

They spoke about the differences in communication between autistic people and neurotypicals, and how that can impact lives.

—Katie Farthing

Examples of neurotypical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Research from Birkbeck, University of London in 2024 surveyed 1400 neurodivergent employees, employers and neurotypical colleagues and reported an increase in neurodiversity policies but a decrease in wellbeing from the 2023 survey. —Nancy Doyle, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Because the workplace and larger society has been built by neurotypical people for neurotypical people to succeed, many of the systems benefit neurotypical people by default. —Julie Kratz, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

To the scientists’ surprise, this decoding was successful for both neurotypical and aphantasic participants. —Bykristel Tjandra, science.org, 10 Jan. 2025

People without these conditions are referred to as neurotypical. —Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

neuro- + typical

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for neurotypical

• prototypical
• atypical
• untypical
• stereotypical
• typical

Medical Definition

neurotypical

adjective

neu·​ro·​typ·​i·​cal ˌn(y)u̇r-(ˌ)ȯ-ˈti-pi-kəl 

: not affected with a disorder or condition (such as autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder) that impacts the way the brain processes information : exhibiting or characteristic of typical neurological development

Routine disruption appeared to be among the biggest stressors of the children with autism, compared to neurotypical peers. It is possible that this stress led to other challenges during the pandemic. … While the greatest stressor in the neurotypical group was isolation from friends, it was much less of a stressor for children with autism.

—Helen M. Genova et al., Frontiers in Education

compare neurodivergent

neurotypical noun

Individuals with autism may have different emotional responses than neurotypicals to the same situations, making it harder for neurotypicals to identify the antecedent of various reactions among individuals with autism.

—Sarah Hansen, Hussman Institute for Autism