typically

typically — adverb

1. showing the qualities that make a person or thing a good example of its kind

1.adverbB2
Definition

showing the qualities that make a person or thing a good example of its kind

Example

The café serves a typically French breakfast with croissants and strong coffee.

typically + nationality adjective

Mei-Ling served a typically Taiwanese dish of braised pork rice with pickled vegetables.

typically + nationality + noun describing cuisine

Synonyms
  • characteristically

    more formal; emphasises the distinctive qualities rather than the expected ones

  • distinctively

    focuses on what sets something apart rather than what it shares with its type

Grammar Patterns

typically + adjective

a typically + adjective + noun

Usage Note

In this sense, 'typically' usually appears directly before an adjective or a noun phrase, describing what makes something a good representative of its kind.

Common Mistakes

This is a typical French breakfast served here.
This is a typically French breakfast served here.
'typical' describes the noun; 'typically' modifies the adjective 'French' to say the breakfast shows French characteristics.

2. used before describing a situation or event that happens on most occasions, or w

2.adverbB2
Definition

used before describing a situation or event that happens on most occasions, or when giving a common example

Example

Typically, the heaviest rain arrives in June and turns low-lying streets into rivers.

sentence adverb at start of clause

A typically busy day for a nurse starts before dawn and rarely slows down.

a typically + adjective + noun describing a usual pattern

Synonyms
  • generally

    more neutral; less specific than 'typically', which implies a pattern that is characteristic

  • usually

    more common in everyday speech; 'typically' carries a slightly more formal tone

  • normally

    focuses on what is standard or expected under normal circumstances

Grammar Patterns

typically, + clause

not typically + adjective

a typically + adjective + noun

Usage Note

When used as a sentence adverb at the beginning of a clause ('Typically, ...'), this sense comments on the whole statement and means 'in most cases' or 'as a general rule'. It is common in both speech and writing.

3. describing how a person or thing acts as others have come to expect, based on th

3.adverbB1
Definition

describing how a person or thing acts as others have come to expect, based on their usual way of behaving

Example

Hamza was typically cheerful despite the long delay at the airport.

be + typically + adjective describing behaviour

The cat was typically stubborn and refused to come out from under the bed.

Synonyms
  • as usual

    a phrase rather than a single word; often placed at the end of a clause ('late, as usual')

  • predictably

    stronger emphasis on the behaviour being expected and almost certain to happen

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

subject + typically + verb

subject + be + typically + adjective

Usage Note

This sense focuses on what someone or something is known to do based on past experience. It often carries a tone of mild familiarity or acceptance — the behaviour is not surprising.

Word family

  • typical
    adjectiveB1
  • atypical
    adjectiveB2
  • typicality
    nounC1
  • type
    nounA2
  • typify
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

'Typically', 'generally', 'usually', and 'normally' all describe recurring patterns, but they differ slightly in focus. 'Usually' is the most neutral and common in everyday speech, simply stating what happens most of the time ('I usually walk to work'). 'Generally' has a broader scope and often applies to rules or trends rather than habits ('Generally, prices rise in summer'). 'Normally' implies a standard or undisturbed state ('The library is normally quiet'), suggesting that exceptions are deviations. 'Typically' sits closest to 'normally' but adds the idea that the pattern is characteristic or expected of a particular group or situation ('A typically British response is to apologise'). In academic or professional writing, 'typically' is often preferred for describing standard procedures or expected outcomes.

generally ↗usually ↗normally ↗typically ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • not typically
  • more typically
  • typically + adjective
  • typically + verb

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

From 'typical', which comes from late Latin 'typicalis', from Greek 'typos' meaning 'impression, figure, model'. The adverb form emerged in English in the late 17th century, originally meaning 'in a symbolic or figurative way' before developing its modern sense of 'in a characteristic manner'.