Meaning & use
atypically
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Meaning
adverb
In a way that is not usual or not typical of a particular group or situation.
Grammar: Used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs; often placed before the word it modifies or at the end of a clause.
Patterns
- atypically + adjective
- atypically + verb
- atypically + for someone/something
The weather has been atypically warm for this time of year.
She responded atypically slowly, which worried her friends.
Atypically for a politician, he admitted he did not know the answer.
Common combinations
- atypically high
- The demand for the product was atypically high during the winter.
- atypically low
- Her scores were atypically low on that particular test.
- atypically quiet
- The usually noisy classroom was atypically quiet.
- atypically for
- Atypically for him, he arrived late to the meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unusually
- More common and less formal; 'unusually' can describe anything rare, while 'atypically' emphasizes deviation from a type or norm.
- abnormally
- Suggests a deviation that is often undesirable or medically significant; 'atypically' is more neutral.
- uncharacteristically
- Focuses on behavior that is not typical of a particular person or thing; 'atypically' is broader.
Opposites
Word family
- atypical adjective
- Not usual or not typical.
- atypicality noun
- The quality of being atypical.
Commonly confused: atypically or typically?
atypically vs typically
The opposite meaning; 'typically' means in a usual or expected way.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'atypically' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Atypically' means not typically, so it fits with 'far above the normal range'. Option 0 is wrong because 'as always' contradicts the meaning. Option 2 is wrong because 'atypically' is an adverb and cannot modify the adjective 'beautiful' in that position (it would need to be 'atypically beautiful' but the sentence structure is off). Option 3 is wrong because the sun always rises in the east, so 'atypically' is illogical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “atypically”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.