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

The prototypical such action occurred in 2016, when he orchestrated Tesla’s purchase of his SolarCity for $2.8 billion, a 35% premium from the latter’s trading price.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

“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

A prototypical NFT of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s first tweet was purchased by a cryptocurrency entrepreneur for $2.9 million in 2021.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2024

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

Related Words

• archetypal
• quintessential