prototypical

American  

[proh-tuh-tip-i-kuhl] / ˌproʊ təˈtɪp ɪ kəl /

Sometimes prototypal also prototypic

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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Other Word Forms

• prototypically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of prototypical

prototyp(e) ( def. ) + -ical ( def. )

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.

Example Sentences

Prototypical schools is a numeric designation, where staffing and other services are determined by enrollment averages, rather than the particular needs of the individual students in any given building.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2023

Prototypical riot grrrls Bikini Kill’s biggest hit, “Rebel Girl,” spoke of women as symbolic harbingers of social, cultural, and political revolution.

From Slate • May 20, 2021

Prototypical modern versions are tested in Bean’s own laboratory.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2015

Figure 3.13 Prototypical Human Cell While this image is not indicative of any one particular human cell, it is a prototypical example of a cell containing the primary organelles and internal structures.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

Related Words

• archetypal
• quintessential