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.

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verb (used with object)

prototyped, prototyping

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

   to prototype a solar-power car.

prototype British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prototypal
  adjective
• prototypic
  adjective
• prototypical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• prototypes
  plural

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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

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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

See Examples For:

prototype prototypes prototyped prototyping

Tesla showed off a prototype of the car in November 2017 and started taking deposits of $50,000—or $250,000 for a limited “Founders Series” model—from customers who wanted to get in line to buy one.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The factory then makes a prototype, and builds moulds from which plastic parts and other components are formed.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

In June, Nicolas Papernot, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Toronto, led a team that built a prototype AI worm using freely available AI models.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

"These first materials that we have studied are like a baby step, or a prototype problem, along the way to more complex phenomena such as high-temperature superconductors and quantum magnets."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

She drew careful diagrams and sent them off with a patent application, but she dropped the idea when she found out it would cost several thousand dollars to make the prototype.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Unlike earlier prototypes, the new nuclear clock can maintain its own stability without depending on a conventional atomic clock.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

"It's a composite image. Each member of this family has several prototypes," the guide explained.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

I vividly remember going to his design studio to review the prototypes of three dolls with him, take notes and make necessary adjustments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Most of the vehicles currently on the road, even those generating revenue, are still basically prototypes, he added.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

The judges would be in to look at all the prototypes.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

“They prototyped a lot of ideas,” said Yee, a father of three who took over from Akl as chairman of the board of KidSTREAM in 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

Together, they designed user interfaces, prototyped an app and coded a website based on the prototype.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2023

“We actually prototyped a lot of different versions of this internally, and now we’ve settled on this as a means of communicating into your work repository.”

From The Verge ● Sep. 21, 2021

“Some things can be prototyped and some things can’t,” he said.

From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2017

Crowd favorites are formally designed and prototyped, then proposed for sale in the crowdfunding phase.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2016

"We've spent the last four years developing, prototyping and testing technologies… We have a team of 30 people, and growing," says Rob Meyerson, co-founder and chief executive.

From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026

QCi’s Arizona foundry, used for R&D and prototyping, has started generating early revenue, with plans for a second facility.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

The office is a “creation hub,” she said, where influencers can record Puma’s design prototyping lab supported by libraries of materials and equipment used to create Puma apparel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

“As an average consumer, I have access to rapid prototyping equipment that costs millions of dollars and takes specialty training to operate.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

The computer desktop and various rapid prototyping tools brought execution closer to designers.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin

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Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor

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