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  

/ 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

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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

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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

Musk unveiled a prototype for the Cybertruck in 2019 with high expectations, including deeming it superior to Ford’s top-selling F-150.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

The Wall Street Journal reported in July that SpaceX was developing a mobile handset prototype powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

It will be carrying its prototype lander called Blue Moon.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

What the video failed to mention, though, was that the prototype had been towed to the top of a small slope and filmed as it rolled downhill.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 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

Unlike earlier prototypes, the new nuclear clock can maintain its own stability without depending on a conventional atomic clock.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

"It's a composite image. Each member of this family has several prototypes," the guide explained.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

These days just two co-founders can build prototypes, get their products into the hands of customers and kick the tires of what they’re building before needing to hire, says Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

I vividly remember going to his design studio to review the prototypes of three dolls with him, take notes and make necessary adjustments.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

But as Herman Miller tinkered with the design, coming up with new and better prototypes, and got people to overcome their qualms, the scores began to inch up.

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

For months, Corrigan, Popa and a small team prototyped the material, which was released earlier this year by 3M under the name Cushion Lock.

From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2022

“We actually prototyped a lot of different versions of this internally, and now we’ve settled on this as a means of communicating into your work repository.”

From The Verge ● Sep. 21, 2021

Crowd favorites are formally designed and prototyped, then proposed for sale in the crowdfunding phase.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2016

British Columbia-based D-Wave said it will use the new money to advance microelectronics research and development around prototyping of advanced semiconductor technology for quantum technology and scalable high-performance quantum hardware.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The design software market faces unique risks, Radke conceded, as generative AI reduces the time and skill required for prototyping and ideation, in turn blurring the boundaries “of who a ‘designer’ is.”

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

"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

“When I was prototyping it, the kids loved having a game to play where they can learn and talk about it,” Yount said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2024

I'm going to need to manufacture an excuse to go stateside to explain this to them and supervise the prototyping.

From Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow

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Related Words

• mock-up
• model
• precursor

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