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.
Unseasonal or unusually heavy rain or winds can impact pollination, he explains, and then durian trees typically need about a month of hot weather to flower, but cooler temperatures for harvest.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
Passing along higher power costs to customers will be difficult when supply contracts are typically pegged to market prices for steel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
Researchers have typically accounted for these differences using relatively simple correction methods.
From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026
“When commercial inventories decline, prices typically rise as market participants compete for an increasingly scarce physical supply,” she wrote.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
“The default setting is typically ‘help,’ but you can customize as the situation allows.”
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
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.
