prototypical
Americanadjective
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being the original or model on which something is based or formed.
Even Los Angeles, the prototypical American automobile city, is rapidly expanding its public transit infrastructure.
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illustrating the typical qualities of a class or group.
Scotty played center field as a quick, prototypical lead-off hitter.
The International Harvester Farmall letter series, well-built and affordable, became an iconic symbol of the prototypical American small-farm tractor.
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Biology. being a primitive form regarded as the basis of a group; archetypal.
She graduated with a degree in biology, having conducted her senior thesis research on virulence factors of vaccinia, the prototypical poxvirus.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of prototypical
Explanation
Being prototypical means representing the usual or quintessential version of something. The prototypical example of a superhero, for example, is a strong person who wears a cape. While the adjective prototypical can be used for things that are literal prototypes, or original samples that later versions are based on, it's usually a near-synonym for typical. So you might say that you live in a prototypical suburban neighborhood, much like every other suburban neighborhood, or that you behave as a prototypical oldest child, with all the common personality traits they tend to have.
Vocabulary lists containing prototypical
Chaos Theory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It isn’t the prototypical way that you draw it up,” said David Keller, who led Chicago’s scouting of Murakami.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
In that regard, and other obvious ways, King is not the prototypical Cal State L.A. student.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025
So, at heart, he’s a prototypical Sean Connery-era James Bond villain.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2025
In 1987, David Letterman was taping his late-night show in Las Vegas before rowdy audiences of mostly young men in preppy pullovers and muscle shirts — prototypical bros raised on “Porky’s.”
From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024
The symbolism of the scene was poignant, dramatizing as it did the passing of the prototypical American and the cause of gradual emancipation.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
