stereotypical
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stereotypical
Explanation
Stereotypical describes an action or a characterization that is oversimplified, widely imitated, or handed down by tradition. As in Aesop’s Fables, stereotypical characters behave predictably, or according to type, which, in Greek, literally means to strike in a mold or an impression. But most interesting people and stories do not easily fit into molds, and typecasts can be socially offensive. It might be stereotypical in a comedy skit to see police officers eating donuts, but when you get pulled over for missing a stop sign it’s best to keep that idea to yourself!
Vocabulary lists containing stereotypical
All American Boys
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This Week in Pop Culture: August 10–16, 2019
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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy
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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.
"Mums are not the stereotypical, do all the childcare, spend every second with your kids anymore. That's just not how lives work."
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
These had to feel like real people with stereotypical flair, teenagers who were boxed into a category simply because that’s what high school social politics demand.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026
Usually engaged in anodyne activities, they present idealized versions of childhood: full of stereotypical sweetness, innocence and light.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
"Queer characters are often flat, one-sided and stereotypical," but the leads in "Heated Rivalry" are "complex," he said.
From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026
Charles was not all science by any means: He bathed the baby, kissed him, hugged him, walked him when he cried; he was anything but the stereotypical distant father so often portrayed in Victorian literature.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
