a number of things or persons sharing a particular characteristic, or set of characteristics, that causes them to be regarded as a group, more or less precisely defined or designated; class; category.
a criminal of the most vicious type.
a thing or person regarded as a member of a class or category; kind; sort (usually followed byof ).
This is some type of mushroom.
Informal. a person, regarded as reflecting or typifying a certain line of work, environment, etc..
a couple of civil service types.
a thing or person that represents perfectly or in the best way a class or category; model.
the very type of a headmaster.
Printing.
a rectangular piece or block, now usually of metal, having on its upper surface a letter or character in relief.
such pieces or blocks collectively.
a similar piece in a typewriter or the like.
such pieces collectively.
a printed character or printed characters.
a headline in large type.
face.
Biology.
a genus or species that most nearly exemplifies the essential characteristics of a higher group.
the one or more specimens on which the description and naming of a species is based.
Agriculture.
the inherited features of an animal or breed that are favorable for any given purpose.
dairy type.
a strain, breed, or variety of animal, or a single animal, belonging to a specific kind.
Also called type-word. Logic, Linguistics. the general form of a word, expression, symbol, or the like in contrast to its particular instances.
The type “and” in “red and white and blue” has two separate tokens.
the pattern or model from which something is made.
an image or figure produced by impressing or stamping, as the principal figure or device on either side of a coin or medal.
a distinctive or characteristic mark or sign.
a symbol of something in the future, as an Old Testament event serving as a prefiguration of a New Testament event.
Medicine/Medical. blood group.
a kind, class, or category, the constituents of which share similar characteristics
a subdivision of a particular class of things or people; sort
what type of shampoo do you use?
the general form, plan, or design distinguishing a particular group
informal a person who typifies a particular quality
he's the administrative type
informal a person, esp of a specified kind
he's a strange type
a small block of metal or more rarely wood bearing a letter or character in relief for use in printing
such pieces collectively
characters printed from type; print
biology
the taxonomic group the characteristics of which are used for defining the next highest group, for example Rattus norvegicus (brown rat) is the type species of the rat genus Rattus
( as modifier )
a type genus
a type species
See type specimen
the characteristic device on a coin
linguistics a symbol regarded as standing for the class of all symbols identical to it Compare token
logic a class of expressions or of the entities they represent that can all enter into the same syntactic relations. The theory of types was advanced by Bertrand Russell to avoid the liar paradox, Russell's paradox, etc
philosophy a universal. If a sentence always has the same meaning whenever it is used, the meaning is said to be a property of the sentence-type Compare token
Christian theol a figure, episode, or symbolic factor resembling some future reality in such a way as to foreshadow or prefigure it
rare a distinctive sign or mark
to write (copy) on a typewriter
(tr) to be a symbol of; typify
(tr) to decide the type of; clarify into a type
(tr) med to determine the blood group of (a blood sample)
(tr) Christian theol to foreshadow or serve as a symbol of (some future reality)
type or form
archetype
printing type or photographic process
collotype
When preceded by a modifier, type meaning “kind, sort” is sometimes used without a following of: This type furnace uses very little current. In writing, a hyphen is often placed between type and the preceding word or words: a magnetic-type holder; a New England-type corn pudding. This construction is frequently criticized by usage guides; it is most typical of journalistic writing and advertising and occurs rarely in formal speech or writing. In almost all cases the construction can be rendered fully standard either by restoring of after type, with no hyphen ( this type of furnace; a New England type of corn pudding ) or by omitting type altogether ( a magnetic holder).
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English: “symbol, figure” (from Middle French ), from Latin typus “bas-relief, ground plan,” from Greek týpos “blow, impression”
A type is a specific category of things or people that have something in common. Your favorite type of candy might be dark chocolate, while your brother's favorite type is jelly beans. There are two basic sorts of types: first, a group of similar things — and in biology, specifically, "an organism with the essential characteristics of its group." The second type of type consists of letters, numbers, or symbols that are printed or shown on a computer screen, like the extra-large type in your grandpa's library book. As a verb, to type means to use a typewriter or keyboard to write.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It takes a certain type of guy that can handle it,” said Kyle Finnegan, one of seven Detroit Tigers with a save this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Just one-third of people survive this type of tumour beyond 12 months while 4% survive for five years or more, Brain Tumour Research says.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Researchers have now shown that specially shaped light can act as a similar type of threaded probe, interacting differently with molecules depending on their handedness.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
At the Los Angeles Unified School District high school where I teach, this exact type of “adjustment” is happening for the 2026-2027 school year because of declining enrollment.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Later, I would learn that the women of West Computing could type ten digits at a time into their calculators from memory.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
We need a Graeme Souness -type manager who won't let players just turn up to get their huge salaries.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2025
Unlike for the bulk of his works which he installs guerrilla-style without asking, Invader sought and got the museum’s permission to cement the red-and-white Space Invader -type alien into place overlooking the city.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
The therapist version offers a confidential soundproof box — one that, ahhh, offers a partner in figuring out how to answer these, “Is it okay?” -type questions.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 28, 2022
Qualifying catches are also sent to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an international network which provides open access to data about all types of life.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Few companies are saying they plan to go on major hiring sprees, and employers are also making clear they are in the market for certain types of workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Very often, the two types of caregivers use different digital systems to store patients’ vital information, and those systems can’t talk to each other.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Geological Survey, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks combined several types of remote sensing data.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
The Nazis also created different types of Enigmas and unique daily setting tables for various branches of their forces.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
But last March, seven typed pages, apparently containing the former Zappos chief executive’s final wishes, surfaced via snail mail to the Las Vegas courthouse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
The BBC is not disclosing what the researchers typed into ChatGPT.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Whether the lawyers were laughing when they typed this is known only to them.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
Some of them press questions scribbled on pieces of paper or typed in their phone against the glass, and the preparators answer them with notes of their own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
In the search box, he typed in, “Susan Thomas Brookline MA teacher.”
From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks
My partner wants to turn off the light and go to sleep, but I'm still frantically typing on my phone.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
If you’re not, you’ve got to use money, which is hard to get, whereas you get shares by typing zeros into a spreadsheet.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Walking and typing is dangerous, but walking and talking like a maniac into my own recorder is merely antisocial.
From Slate ● May 24, 2026
Within the fair’s 200 buildings, they were dazzled by inventions including an enormous Corliss steam engine, the first typing machine featuring a qwerty keyboard and a working model of a steamship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Three dots appear on the screen as Nora starts typing on her end.
From "A Soft Place to Land" by Janae Marks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
