typically
Americanadverb
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in a way that serves as or conforms to a type.
The study examines the eating patterns of both typically developing children and those who have intellectual or developmental delays.
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commonly or characteristically.
A Florida thunderstorm typically works like this: lightning and thunder, torrential rain, gusty winds, and then it’s all over in about 5 to 10 minutes.
Other Word Forms
- nontypically adverb
- quasi-typically adverb
- untypically adverb
Etymology
Origin of typically
Explanation
Use the adverb typically when something happens in a general or usual way. The winner of the Miss America pageant, for example, is typically a very tall, slender young woman with long hair. You might say that it typically takes a year to get a driver's license in your state — in other words, that's how long it takes as a general rule or on average. Or you could say that while you don't typically enjoy short stories, you read one recently that you can't get out of your mind. The adjective typical is at the root of typically, from the Late Latin typicus, "of a type," and the Greek typos, "impression."
Vocabulary lists containing typically
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.
With a fifth of the world’s oil typically passing through the strait, the shutdown has sent global oil prices soaring past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
Federal loans typically default after 270 days of missed payments, but private loans have a much shorter runway.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
These individuals typically ate their first meal after 14:00 and fasted for about 17 hours.
From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026
Every year, Sue Ferreri typically allows a 10 percent "buffer" for production budgeting, "but it's well above that now...We're looking at 20, 25 percent, and it's mainly due to the diesel cost," she told AFP.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
On a typically sweltering day, Caputo stood in front of a chart on the wall.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
