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  

/ 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

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

See Examples For:

prototype prototypes prototyped prototyping

Initially, the prototype could follow simple voice commands to execute tasks across apps, including ordering food and comparing shopping prices.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

Among the debutantes climbing the hill last week were the Audi Nuvolari hybrid supercar, Jaguar’s Type 01 prototype, BMW’s latest M2, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, and Toyota’s magnificent-sounding GR coupe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

They also evaluated whether the prototype could detect electrons and reconstruct their positions inside a block of plastic scintillator.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Last year, most US intelligence agencies and departments surmised that it was "very unlikely" that a foreign actor used "a novel weapon or prototype device to harm" US personnel and their families.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Dimple and Rishi had spent every day in between fine-tuning Dimple’s initial wireframe prototype, making sure they were ready to begin working on the backend of things.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

Now it can create highly accurate prototypes to then be made via traditional methods.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“As Freddy’s continues to grow, we remain focused on supporting our franchisees through new restaurant prototypes, greater real estate flexibility, and development strategies that help position the brand for sustainable growth.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

The astronauts will begin training immediately on Orion systems while also supporting the development and testing of the Blue Origin and SpaceX lander prototypes that will be used during the mission.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

Nvidia unveiled the first prototypes for a new generation of personal laptops designed to run AI “agents” at the annual Computex event.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

They took prototypes of the Aeron to local companies in western Michigan and had people sit in them for at least half a day.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

“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

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

From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2017

Years ago, a handful of input engineers and key designers had prototyped multitouch-focused interaction demos, followed by the Q79 tablet project — an experimental early stab at an iPad-like device.

From The Verge ● Jun. 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 soon as they read his memo, they began prototyping his little indicator that would be known as the Moylan Arrow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026

Caitlin's husband has been very patient over the past six months as she worked days fixing the ailing machinery at the sanitarium and nights prototyping my designs.

From Eastern Standard Tribe by Doctorow, Cory

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor