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

He told the Daily Herald he created “the three prototype models that brought He-Man and Masters of the Universe into existence.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Faraday has imported prototype vehicles from Zeekr to work on, according to trade-data firm ImportGenius.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

They compared four versions and collected nine months of performance data before selecting a final prototype, which they tested outdoors.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2026

The first prototype was "built with a large engineering spring" and Reebok subsequently licensed the idea in 1999, turning it into a mass-market product sold worldwide.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Both American and foreign students utilized him as their prototype for human development, spiritual dedication, and equality.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor