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

The data showed that Cape fur seals typically completed an at-sea-to-on-land cycle in about 5.5 days, while Australian fur seals averaged 3.8 days.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

A pooled special-needs trust is typically managed by a nonprofit that combines assets from multiple people with disabilities into a single fund to maintain eligibility for government benefits like Medicaid and Social Security Insurance.

From MarketWatch • May 9, 2026

While individuals who are at least age 70 ½ can gift using QCDs, the gifting tools are typically used starting at age 73 to manage the tax consequences of mandatory withdrawals from IRAs.

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

Old World hantaviruses, typically found in Europe and Asia, generally affect the kidneys.

From Salon • May 9, 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