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

Example Sentences

That sense of safety also comes from the level playing field in gay romance - it does not have the fixed gender roles and stereotypes present in heterosexual love stories.

From BBC

French Response grants itself no diplomatic immunity for stereotypes, either.

From The Wall Street Journal

Many studies have shown how generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini reflect stereotypes contained in the vast reams of text and images they are trained on.

From Barron's

The film moves between the two in a sweeping, polyphonic narrative blending performances by professional and amateur actors, portraying a multifaceted Franco-African community refreshingly free from stereotypes.

From Barron's

Asked about why the number of children and young people who have gender dysphoria is increasing, Cass said it was "complex" but there was a different cultural context, with people "less locked into gender stereotypes".

From BBC

Related Words

• pattern