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
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.
Their goal in their personal work is to combine theme park-like art direction with scrappy, budget-friendly immersive theater, a term that typically denotes some level of active participation on the part of the guest.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2025
While Ketubah language typically denotes only a couple’s parentage, their text reads: “Julie, daughter of John and Sheila, sister of John, of blessed memory.”
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2023
He added that he would remain involved as executive chair and “C.T.O.,” which typically denotes chief technology officer, and that he would still oversee Twitter’s product and software.
From New York Times • May 12, 2023
Five more directors failed to clear the 70 percent threshold that typically denotes a serious protest vote and which often forces companies to respond on such matters as “say on pay.”
From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2017
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.
