typ ‧ i ‧ cal S2 W2 /ˈtɪpɪk ə l/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ type , ↑ typology ; adjective : ↑ typical ≠ ↑ atypical , ↑ typological ; verb : ↑ typify ; adverb : ↑ typically ]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: typicalis , from Latin typicus , from Greek typikos , from typos ; ⇨ ↑ type 1 ]
1 . having the usual features or qualities of a particular group or thing:
typical British weather
typical of
This painting is typical of his work.
This advertisement is a typical example of their marketing strategy.
2 . happening in the usual way:
On a typical day, our students go to classes from 7.30 am to 1 pm.
Try calculating your budget for a typical week.
3 . behaving in the way that you expect:
Bennett accepted the award with typical modesty.
it is typical of somebody to do something
It’s not typical of Gill to be so critical.
Mr Stevens’ appointment was a typical case of promoting a man beyond his level of competence.
4 . typical! spoken used to show that you are annoyed when something bad happens again, or when someone does something bad again
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THESAURUS
▪ typical a typical person or thing is a good example of that type of person or thing:
With his camera around his neck, he looked like a typical tourist.
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The windows are typical of houses built during this period.
▪ classic used to describe a very typical and very good example of something:
It was a classic case of the cure being worse than the disease.
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a classic mistake
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The book is a classic example of great teamwork.
▪ archetypal the archetypal person or thing is the most typical example of that kind of person or thing, and has all their most important qualities:
the archetypal English village
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Indiana Jones is the archetypal adventure hero.
▪ quintessential used when you want to emphasize that someone or something is the very best example of something – used especially when you admire them very much:
the quintessential guide to New York
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Robert Plant is the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll singer.
▪ stereotypical having the characteristics that many people believe a particular type of person or thing has – used when you think these beliefs are not true:
Hollywood films are full of stereotypical images of women as wives and mothers.
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He challenges stereotypical ideas about people with disabilities.
▪ representative containing the most common types of people or things that are found in something, and showing what it is usually like:
a representative sample of college students
▪ characteristic very typical of a particular type of thing, or of someone’s character or usual behaviour:
Each species of bird has its own characteristic song.
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What gives Paris its characteristic charm?
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He played with his characteristic skill.
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the characteristic symptoms of the disease
▪ be the epitome of something to be the best possible example of a particular type of person or thing or of a particular quality:
His house was thought to be the epitome of good taste.