stereotype

American  

[ster-ee-uh-tahyp, steer-] / ˈstɛr i əˌtaɪp, ˈstɪər- /

noun

• stereotypes
  plural

1. a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group.

   Cowboys and Indians are American stereotypes.

2. a set form; convention.

   Most important for lexicographers are the idiomatic stereotypes whose meaning cannot be inferred from knowledge of the meanings of the individual items.

3. Printing.

   1. a process, now often replaced by more advanced methods, for making metal printing plates by taking a mold of composed type or the like in papier-mâché or other material and then taking from this mold a cast in type metal.

   2. a plate made by this process.

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verb (used with object)

• stereotypes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• stereotyped,
  past participle,  past
• stereotyping
  present participle

1. to characterize or regard as a stereotype.

   The actor has been stereotyped as a villain.

   Synonyms:

   typecast, label, categorize

2. to give a fixed form to.

3. Printing. to make a stereotype of.

stereotype British  

/ ˈstɛrɪəˌtaɪp, ˌstɪər-, ˈstɪər- /

noun

1. 1. a method of producing cast-metal printing plates from a mould made from a forme of type matter in papier-mâché or some other material

   2. the plate so made

2. another word for stereotypy

3. an idea, trait, convention, etc, that has grown stale through fixed usage

4. sociol a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly

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verb

1. 1. to make a stereotype of

   2. to print from a stereotype

2. to impart a fixed usage or convention to

stereotype ¹ Cultural  

1. A too-simple and therefore distorted image of a group, such as “Football players are stupid” or “The English are cold and unfriendly people.”

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stereotype ² Cultural  

1. A generalization, usually exaggerated or oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stereotyper
  noun
• stereotypist
  noun
• stereotypic
  adjective
• stereotypical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stereotypes
  plural

Participles

• stereotyping
  present
• stereotyped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stereotype
  simple
• stereotypes
  simple
• have stereotyped
  perfect
• has stereotyped
  perfect
• am stereotyping
  progressive
• are stereotyping
  progressive
• is stereotyping
  progressive
• have been stereotyping
  perfect progressive
• has been stereotyping
  perfect progressive

Past

• stereotyped
  simple
• had stereotyped
  perfect
• was stereotyping
  progressive
• were stereotyping
  progressive
• had been stereotyping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stereotype
  simple
• will have stereotyped
  perfect
• will be stereotyping
  progressive
• will have been stereotyping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of stereotype

First recorded in 1790–1800; stereo- + -type

Explanation

A stereotype is a preconceived notion, especially about a group of people. Many stereotypes are rooted in prejudice — so you should be wary of them. You have probably heard stereotypes: commonly held ideas or preconceptions about specific groups. You most often hear about negative stereotypes, but some are positive — the stereotype that tall people are good at basketball, for example. One of many problems with any stereotype is that even if it's true in some cases, it's certainly not true in all cases.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stereotype stereotypes stereotyped stereotyping

With the market for video games now expanded well beyond the stereotype of adolescent boys, the team behind the new game says this time they are focusing on Lara as a strong character.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

There’s a stereotype that some people are good with numbers, while others are creative.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

In an April 2015 interview shortly after Bumble's launch, Herd Wolfe told the Toronto Star it was a "stereotype to say women like to sit back and want men to come to them".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

I know it’s a bit of a stereotype, but we harbor a passion for the bittersweet tones of the chamoy, and we do laugh at death quite a bit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Which was sad, since I knew it was just a stereotype.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

But in the Maghreb, it challenges stereotypes of families tending to be large.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Title IX was meant to combat demeaning and exclusionary sex stereotypes.

From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026

Our misconceptions and stereotypes about men and women at work shape our reality—and could reshape it, if only we would accept the hard facts and work to change them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

An actress and documentary filmmaker, Siebel Newsom founded her production company to develop independent films with a focus on combating gender stereotypes and empowering girls and women.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

“They’re modern and adapting and moving forward. It’s not about superficial appearances or stereotypes, and it’s not about living in the past —it’s about honoring that past by building a future. . . .”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

What the reporting revealed was a continuing debate over whether Gen Z is everything from coddled to unfairly stereotyped and how it will fare at work in the future.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Autistic people are often stereotyped as unable to read other people, Morgan said, but neurotypical people often have just as hard a time accurately interpreting an autistic person’s emotional state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

But he was turned down for the part of Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate because director Mike Nichols felt he was too good-looking - which made Redford wary of being stereotyped by his appearance.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2025

Conscientious employees are often stereotyped as disgruntled, mentally ill or troublemakers who are out for fame, profit or revenge.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2025

King may have embraced direct action, but in the early 1960s he was still very much the product of his black middle-class upbringing, and he would occasionally lash out against stereotyped lower-class behaviors.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

The researchers found that buying into these false beliefs increased gender stereotyping and was associated with reduced support for pay equity policies.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

The first “Zootopia” was not notable just for funny talking animals but also the fact that the funny animals were talking about bigotry and stereotyping.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

The triumphs of the civil-rights movement made many overt forms of anti-Jewish discrimination illegal, but laws could not eliminate bigotry and stereotyping.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025

"I am a huge advocate for not stigmatising or stereotyping birth mums. My biological mother was not given the support she needed to have a clean pregnancy."

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2025

I even had people who were the victims of stereotyping describe the dangers of labeling groups of people.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Related Words

• pattern