Type A
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to a pattern of behavior characterized by competitiveness, a sense of urgency, impatience, perfectionism, and assertiveness, and possibly associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
-
of or relating to a person who exhibits Type A behavior.
Compare meaning
How does type-a compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Type A parents not only burned themselves out, they burned out their kids who had no interest in, say, taking their violin hobby pro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
Type A jet fuel cost $12.72 per gallon on Friday at Los Angeles International Airport, according to Atlantic Aviation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2026
A Type A mishap is the most severe category of failure for the agency.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
"We are correcting those mistakes. Today, we are formally declaring a Type A mishap and ensuring leadership accountability so situations like this never reoccur."
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
He’d been vaccinated against B, and he didn’t do drugs, so that ruled out C. Type A was usually caused by drinking contaminated water or eating tainted food.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
