prototype

American  

[proh-tuh-tahyp] / ˈproʊ təˌtaɪp /

noun

prototypes plural

1. the original or model on which something is based or formed.

   Synonyms:

   pattern

2. someone or something that serves to illustrate the typical qualities of a class; model; exemplar.

   She is the prototype of a student activist.

3. something analogous to another thing of a later period.

   a Renaissance prototype of our modern public housing.

4. Biology. an archetype; a primitive form regarded as the basis of a group.

---

verb (used with object)

prototyped, prototyping

1. to create the prototype or an experimental model of.

   to prototype a solar-power car.

prototype British  

/ ˌprəʊtəˈtɪpɪk, ˈprəʊtəˌtaɪp /

noun

1. one of the first units manufactured of a product, which is tested so that the design can be changed if necessary before the product is manufactured commercially

2. a person or thing that serves as an example of a type

3. biology the ancestral or primitive form of a species or other group; an archetype

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prototypal
  adjective
• prototypic
  adjective
• prototypical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prototypes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of prototype

First recorded in 1595–1605; from New Latin prōtotypon, from Greek prōtótypon, noun use of neuter of prōtótypos “original”; see proto-, type

Explanation

A prototype is the original model, a sample on which to base future designs. A company designing a new toaster will first design and build a prototype and then test it out and see if it's any good. A prototype is your test case and becomes the model on which to base the design of the finished product. Often, however, the prototype can be a phase to work out the bugs. The prototype of our hands-free toothbrush was too dangerous; it needed to return to the lab for serious improvements. Like the word archetype, the word prototype can also mean the standard on which to base a definition of something. "A prototypical cheerleader is the girl to which all other cheerleaders might aspire."

Example Sentences

For the artist, the point of the three-day installation at the Tokyo Prototype festival is to provoke thought.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

That’s appropriate, given that this is the 20th anniversary of Beth Morrison Projects, whose principal is the pioneering co-founder and now sole producer of Prototype, and an indefatigable champion of new, unconventional operas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

Journe FFC Prototype, estimated to sell for more than $1 million, according to a statement from Phillips, the New York City-based auction house.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

The story involves something about dinosaur brainwaves and a Dinosaur Decoder Prototype, whatever that is, and a lot of lines like, “We have to find the eggs before it’s too late!”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 13, 2023

Prototype, prō′tō-tīp, n. the first or original type or model from which anything is copied: an exemplar: a pattern.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor