typically

American  

[tip-i-klee] / ˈtɪp ɪ kli /

adverb

1. 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.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• nontypically adverb
• quasi-typically adverb
• untypically adverb

Etymology

Origin of typically

typical ( def. ) + -ly

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."

Example Sentences

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

Sallie Mae, for example, typically considers loans in default after 120 days of missed payments.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

In water, they typically break down right away.

From Science Daily • Apr. 11, 2026

Cahill says investors will be paying close attention to how negotiators discuss the strait, through which 20% of the world’s oil and gas typically flows daily.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

They were typically skeletons of colossal, extinct versions of animals that were still in existence at the very same locations where the fossils had been discovered.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• commonly
• consistently
• customarily
• frequently
• generally
• mostly
• naturally
• normally
• occasionally
• often
• ordinarily
• regularly
• routinely
• sometimes