stereotype
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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.
-
Printing.
-
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.
-
a plate made by this process.
-
verb (used with object)
-
to characterize or regard as a stereotype.
The actor has been stereotyped as a villain.
- Synonyms:
- typecast, label, categorize
-
to give a fixed form to.
-
Printing. to make a stereotype of.
noun
-
-
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
-
the plate so made
-
-
another word for stereotypy
-
an idea, trait, convention, etc, that has grown stale through fixed usage
-
sociol a set of inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly
verb
-
-
to make a stereotype of
-
to print from a stereotype
-
-
to impart a fixed usage or convention to
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
stereotypesimple
-
stereotypessimple
-
have stereotypedperfect
-
has stereotypedperfect
-
am stereotypingprogressive
-
are stereotypingprogressive
-
is stereotypingprogressive
-
have been stereotypingperfect progressive
-
has been stereotypingperfect progressive
Past
-
stereotypedsimple
-
had stereotypedperfect
-
was stereotypingprogressive
-
were stereotypingprogressive
-
had been stereotypingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of stereotype
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.
Vocabulary lists containing stereotype
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Raisin in the Sun
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Achievement First 6th Grade IA 1 Words
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The findings build on Levy’s stereotype embodiment theory.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026
On both sides there’s an increased desire to shape kids’ futures and buck the absent-father stereotype.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
“We’ve felt that stereotype always, but it makes us have more pride. We double down on who we are.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
"He kind of just fit a masculine action-star stereotype... I'm pretty much positive none of us could name a movie he'd been in."
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
We have a sense of what a leader is supposed to look like, and that stereotype is so powerful that when someone fits it, we simply become blind to other considerations.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Such programs help tackle loneliness, stereotypes and ageism.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
When Jennifer Siebel Newsom rejected the term “first lady” and decided to go by “first partner,’’ she became the first wife of a California governor to signal she wanted to break down traditional gender stereotypes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Meet the millennial fathers who are bucking traditional stereotypes, splitting the chores, and redefining what it means to lead a modern conservative family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
The theory proposes that age-related stereotypes absorbed from society through sources such as social media and advertising can eventually become personally meaningful and have measurable biological effects.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 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
She added that she wants to "show people I'm not aggressive. I was stereotyped during my career."
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2025
Eating disorders are themselves understudied within the mental health field, where conditions like anorexia have incorrectly been stereotyped as only affecting teenage girls.
From Salon ● Apr. 6, 2025
But he also described how he uses it strategically, avoiding “things that are cringe” and anything that might risk getting him stereotyped as the Gen Z legislator.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025
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
As wholes, or parts, with movement or just motionless figures, with special attention to the color spots or ignoring them, with lots of ideas or just a few stereotyped responses.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
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
"They're being failed due to early years stereotyping, inadequate opportunities and a complete dearth of knowledge about managing female puberty," she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2025
The stereotyping bothers her, but in school, “People actually found it really interesting and cool” that she had two dads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 27, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
