verb
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to be typical of; characterize
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to symbolize or represent completely, by or as if by a type
Other Word Forms
- typification noun
- typifier noun
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
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The Namesake
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Articles on Dangers of Technology
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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.
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
The hashtag #PoorMartha was used on social media to typify fans’ glee at her susceptibility.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2023
Wales' shirt numbers were falling off to confuse matters and typify the frantic opening exchanges.
From BBC • Oct. 14, 2023
If it was a noninflammatory comment, it also is the kind that has seemed to come to typify who Witherspoon is — someone who doesn’t appear to be too awed by much of anything.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2023
Foreshadow, fōr-shad′ō, v.t. to shadow or typify beforehand.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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.
