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

Related: Jamie Foxx Finally Revealed What His ‘Mystery Illness’ Was & Called the Recovery the ‘Worst Year of His Life’ What started as your typical night out at the upscale eatery quickly went south when some fellow diners apparently didn’t get the memo about restaurant etiquette. —Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 15 Dec. 2024

Braving the New York chill yesterday (December 14), Holmes was photographed in what’s become quite a typical silhouette. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2024

Givens, who was charged with a felony several weeks after the shooting, is typical of the people charged in Milwaukee County in such cases, the Journal Sentinel review found. —John Diedrich, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024

Even at the $5,000 level, companies are expecting to issue 150% more 1099-K forms than has been typical, said Wendy Walker, a vice president of regulatory affairs at Sovos, a business compliance software provider that, among other things, helps companies with 1099 reporting. —Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 13 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