typology

noun

ty·​pol·​o·​gy tī-ˈpä-lə-jē How to pronounce typology (audio)
plural typologies
1
: study of or analysis or classification based on types or categories
2
: a doctrine of theological types
especially : one holding that things in Christian belief are prefigured or symbolized by things in the Old Testament
typologist noun

Examples of typology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lowering Cost and Carbon London developer HUB created a co-living design study with global architecture firm MVRDV to show a number of housing typologies that represent this conversion opportunity of commercial real estate in urban areas. Jennifer Castenson, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Lodged in the heart of leafy, low-key Coconut Grove, the palatial hotel first opened its doors in 1985, and with its yawning indoor atrium, was then a distinguished example of that era’s typology. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2023 Milne’s chapter on Wolfowitz illustrates how these typologies transcend ideological lines. Cameron Munter, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016 The American Communities Project, which groups U.S. counties into typologies based on a variety of data, characterizes (or classifies) Schoolcraft as a Graying Community. Jack Armstrong, Wajeeha Kamal, Maya Moore and Shealyn Paulis, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for typology 

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of typology was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near typology

Cite this Entry

“Typology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/typology. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

typology

noun
ty·​pol·​o·​gy tī-ˈpäl-ə-jē How to pronounce typology (audio)
plural typologies
: study of or study based on types
especially : classification (as of personality, human physique, or bacterial strains) based on the comparative study of types
typological adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on typology

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!