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”; 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

That version, previously shown as a prototype last year, has now advanced further in developer testing, Google announced, without providing additional details.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

Last year, Google announced its own plans to launch prototype satellites by 2027 as part of a moonshot initiative called Project Suncatcher.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

The previous recognized world record of 2:00:35 was set at ⁠the Chicago Marathon in October 2023 by the late Kelvin Kiptum, who wore a Nike Alphafly 3 prototype.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

So a prototype magnetic coil is under construction and the plan is to test it next year.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

There was no doubt about it—if they hadn’t been going out, she would’ve spent almost all of her free time working on her prototype.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor