prototype

American  

[proh-tuh-tahyp] / ˈproʊ təˌtaɪp /

noun

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  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• prototypal adjective
• prototypic adjective
• prototypical adjective

Etymology

Origin of prototype

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

Example Sentences

The Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 plane is three times larger than the initial prototype and about the size of an F-16.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The prototype itself is a small layered organic device.

From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026

Within each FDE pod, engineers occupied different roles: McCardel served as an “Echo,” the strategist responsible for translating the customer’s needs into technical requirements, while “Delta” engineers rapidly developed prototype software solutions.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

However, he says the Sphere is a "prototype" that appears to be working well in the sense of offering content to audiences in a unique format.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

By February 1955, a prototype was ready to fly.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor