typical

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   conforming to a type

   the typical (or normal) American

2. 2
   adj

   exhibiting the qualities or characteristics that identify a group or kind or category

   a typical American girl

3. 3
   adj

   Characteristically representing something by form, group, idea or type.

   Compare this with, for instance, the heights of adult humans. They certainly lie within half an order of magnitude from a mean of about 1.7 m, being within the interval 5.4–0.54 m (18–1.8 ft). It is obvious from our three examples—the height of a person, household income in the United States, and the area of EU countries—that the concept of what is typical or characteristic depends on the case one refers to. Nevertheless, even vague measures can have a useful meaning in a comparison with something that is very different. For instance, the area of EU countries is typically much larger than the area of the city of New York, although Malta is actually smaller.

4. 4
   adj

   Normal, average; to be expected.

   Also perpetual is the practice of extending greetings and best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year. The most typical traditional greeting is gong xi fa cai (for prosperity). And it certainly has been the most appropriate one since China in late 1978 denounced the political upheaval of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) and launched its large-scale reform and development programmes.

5. 5
   adj

   Of a lower taxon, containing the type of the higher taxon.

   Celticecis species are definitely known only from the typical subgenus of Celtis, distributed through much of the Holarctic Region.

6. 6
   noun

   Anything that is typical, normal, or standard.

   Antipsychotic drugs can be divided into typicals and atypicals.

7. 7
   adj

   of a feature that helps to distinguish a person or thing

8. 8
   adj

   Capturing the overall sense of a thing.

Etymology

From Late Latin typicalis, from Latin typicus (“typical”), from Ancient Greek τυπικός (tupikós, “of or pertaining to a type, conformable, typical”), from τύπος (túpos, “mark, impression, type”), equivalent to typic + -al and type + -ical.