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  

/ ˌstɛrɪə ˈtɪpɪk, ˌstɪər-, ˈstɛrɪəˌtaɪp, 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

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

A modest shift in consumer behavior hardened into a cultural stereotype.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 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

We laughed about how we embraced every stereotype - the sombreros, bright colours, all of it worn with humour and defiance, and how, as hosts, we gave warmth, laughter and generosity to the world.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

“Okay, here we go. Why it gotta be a stereotype, though?”

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

Such programs help tackle loneliness, stereotypes and ageism.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 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

"If I'd have known this community was out there years ago, I'd have probably been kinder to myself and more accepting that I don't have to conform to any stereotypes."

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

Also, I had come a long way from my days of fear, hatred, ignorance and stereotypes to turn back.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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

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

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2025

In a city that’s too often unjustly stereotyped as favoring the new, the Hollywood studio reminds us of how much history — and, specifically, pop-culture myth-making — is rooted in and around Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2024

POTENTE: It’s comparable to, in my mind, what a musician’s life might be like, like a rock star or a stereotyped idea of what that would be like.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 4, 2024

They celebrate first of all the inviolability of the earth, and they re-enact, each time, in stereotyped choreography, our long anxiety about the nature of life.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

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 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

The public must "stand together against hatred and extremism", she said, and urged those in positions of influence to "consider how their language risks stereotyping communities and how it unduly influences discussions online and offline".

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025

Institutions must take account of race, for sure, but without valorizing it to an extent that ends up compounding racist stereotyping itself.

From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2024

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