stereotype

American  

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

noun

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)

stereotyped, stereotyping

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

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

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

However, it is a chance to bond and see new places - something siblings from Manchester Katie and Harrison, wanted to do, in contrast to the stereotype of bickering brothers and sisters.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

It’s not the stereotype on its own that is the problem, he says: “it’s the predicament that matters.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

And perhaps that’s the real lesson hidden beneath the pasta stereotype: Italian cuisine isn’t just about pleasure.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

It was unfair to associate all fans with what happened that day, but it perhaps reinforced a long-held stereotype of what England supporters were like for some.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026

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

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

Related Words

• pattern