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.
President's Daily Briefs are among the most secretive intelligence analyses in the US government, and typically remain classified for 40 or 50 years after publication.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
What started as a small summer-solstice gathering on San Francisco’s Baker Beach in 1986 now draws typically 70,000 festival-goers, although that number varies each year.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
Interpretations mainly offer different conceptual explanations for what quantum theory means, while typically producing the same experimental predictions as standard quantum mechanics.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 11, 2026
Adam Sansiveri, who heads Bernstein Private Wealth Management’s Sports and Entertainment group, said he typically advises athletes to buy a home only after signing their first professional contract.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
City police departments, like the LAPD, are also typically off-limits.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
