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.

---

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

---

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

A wooden Apple I case, a clear acrylic Macintosh, a large iPod prototype and other items from Apple’s past fill the room.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The Norm prototype has convinced TAE that it can build a commercial power project.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Researchers have developed a prototype called MultiQ-IT that can process large numbers of molecules at the same time.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Researchers said that within the next year they hope to have a prototype kit to detect early stage breast cancer using a lateral flow urine sample.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

And there are more like this; there can be a legion of her, each with its own name, but all Rachael Rosen—Rachael, the prototype, used by the manufacturer to protect the others.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor