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Synonyms

typical

American  
[tip-i-kuhl] / ˈtɪp ɪ kəl /
Rarely typic

adjective

  1. of the nature of or serving as a type or representative specimen.

    Synonyms:
    usual, stock, average, normal
  2. conforming to a particular type.

  3. Biology. exemplifying most nearly the essential characteristics of a higher group in natural history, and forming the type.

    the typical genus of a family.

  4. characteristic or distinctive.

    He has the mannerisms typical of his class.

  5. pertaining to, of the nature of, or serving as a type or emblem; symbolic.


typical British  
/ ˈtɪpɪkəl /

adjective

  1. being or serving as a representative example of a particular type; characteristic

    the painting is a typical Rembrandt

  2. considered to be an example of some undesirable trait

    that is typical of you!

  3. of or relating to a representative specimen or type

  4. conforming to a type

  5. biology having most of the characteristics of a particular taxonomic group

    a typical species of a genus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nontypical adjective
  • nontypicalness noun
  • quasi-typical adjective
  • typicality noun
  • typically adverb
  • typicalness noun
  • untypical adjective

Etymology

Origin of typical

First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin typicālis, equivalent to Late Latin typic(us) (from Greek typikós, equivalent to týp(os) type + -ikos -ic ) + Latin -ālis -al 1

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.

After three straight years of depressed sales, it will be a long, slow road back to a more typical level—and industry forecasters don’t agree on the route.

From Barron's

After three straight years of depressed sales, it will be a long, slow road back to a more typical level—and industry forecasters don’t agree on the route.

From Barron's

“This is just the beginning,” he says, though he recognizes that a $25,000 video marketing budget far surpasses the roughly $3,500 cost for a typical video for a property of this size.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are several indications that more borrowers than typical are severely behind on their student-loan payments — and in 2026, these borrowers could face consequences that have major implications for their economic lives.

From MarketWatch

In 2025, the typical U.S. household needed seven years to save for a typical down payment, a significant improvement from the peak of 12 years in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal