typify
Americanverb
-
to be typical of; characterize
-
to symbolize or represent completely, by or as if by a type
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
typifysimple
-
typifiessimple
-
have typifiedperfect
-
has typifiedperfect
-
am typifyingprogressive
-
are typifyingprogressive
-
is typifyingprogressive
-
have been typifyingperfect progressive
-
has been typifyingperfect progressive
Past
-
typifiedsimple
-
had typifiedperfect
-
was typifyingprogressive
-
were typifyingprogressive
-
had been typifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of typify
Explanation
To typify is to represent what is typical of something or someone. You might say that screaming and door slamming typify your spoiled cousin if that kind of behavior is exactly the kind of thing she usually does. Something that's characteristic of a group of people typifies them. You might observe, for example, that studying late on a Friday night typifies your college friends who are math majors. You could also say that sunny days and cool nights typify autumn in New England, since that's the typical weather for that particular place and time. The root word is Greek — typos, which means "dent, impression, mark, figure, or original form."
Vocabulary lists containing typify
"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Namesake
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Articles on Dangers of Technology
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
What better show to typify that era of relative calm than what the characters on “Seinfeld” described as a show about nothing?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
On the second series, Smith tripped over Charbonnet’s foot as he dropped back to pass and was touched down at the 1-yard-line, a play that seemed to typify the Seahawks’ ineptness in the first half.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 23, 2023
Wales' shirt numbers were falling off to confuse matters and typify the frantic opening exchanges.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2023
Nonetheless, NEV sales that typify big-ticket spending have mirrored a tepid rebound in consumption after China abruptly ended COVID-19 containment measures late last year.
From Reuters ● Jun. 8, 2023
But the struggle back to past contentment and happiness is difficult; and the “Old Yew” of the churchyard seems to typify his present state of feeling.
From A Key to Lord Tennyson's 'In Memoriam' by Mrs. Alfred Gatty
It’s co-hosted by British multihyphenate producer and entrepreneur Charles Finch, who presides over the affair with the charm and graciousness that typifies the best hosts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026
These compromises create the dead-stick handling, latency and hysteresis that typifies your average two-box people mover.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
A word that perhaps typifies Clarke's reign more than any other.
From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2025
The mango, that beloved linchpin of cuisines and cultures around the world, typifies this trend.
From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2025
What he was not interested in was the grueling fieldwork that typifies sociology.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Premier League football of the early 2000s was typified by the 4-4-2 formation.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
They also suggest that the disinflation earlier this year may have been another of the false dawns that have typified recent Fed performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026
He typified the Lakers’ adaptability with 32 assists in the last five games of the regular season after averaging 1.7 assists per game since joining the team.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026
Now forgotten, Dillon, Read & Co. typified the Wall Street of roll-top desks and patrician dignity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
There was even a brand of harsh satire in my parents’ quest itself, because it typified the American belief that everything can be solved by doctors.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
The work was unveiled in 1920 in a ceremony that lauded Otis for typifying “the ideal which first brought men and women to America.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
But typifying the way Penny’s career has gone since Seattle drafted him 27th overall in 2018, Penny suffered a hamstring injury on the play and sat out the rest of the first half.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
Before expending the effort typifying one's love language, it is worth inquiring: is the concept is actually psychologically meaningful, or just another batch of pop psychology B.S.?
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2021
The jeans are described on Nordstrom's website as typifying "rugged, Americana workwear" and "hard-working action".
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2017
Of octagonal plan, its vaulting ribs branch out from sixteen Purbeck shafts which cluster round the central pillar, typifying the diocesan church with all its members gathered round its common father, the bishop.
From Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Wells A Description of Its Fabric and a Brief History of the Episcopal See by Percy Dearmer
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.
