prototype

noun

pro·​to·​type ˈprō-tə-ˌtīp 

1

: an original model on which something is patterned : archetype

2

: an individual that exhibits the essential features of a later type

3

: a standard or typical example

4

: a first full-scale and usually functional form of a new type or design of a construction (such as an airplane)

Did you know?

The prefix prot-, or proto-, comes from Greek and has the basic meaning "first in time" or "first formed." A prototype is someone or something that serves as a model or inspiration for those that come later. A successful fund-raising campaign can serve as a prototype for future campaigns. The legendary Robin Hood, the "prototypical" kindhearted and honorable outlaw, has been the inspiration for countless other romantic heroes. And for over a century, Vincent van Gogh has been the prototype of the brilliant, tortured artist who is unappreciated in his own time.

Synonyms of prototype

• example
• sample
• specimen
• instance

Examples of prototype in a Sentence

They tested the prototype of the car.

He is developing a prototype for his invention.

He is the prototype of a conservative businessman.

The Sherlock Holmes stories are the prototypes of modern detective stories.

Recent Examples on the Web

Matrix has already completed successful flight tests near Shanghai, bringing real size and real ambition to an industry still dominated by small prototypes. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Feb. 2026

While the plasma heat achievement was set at Helion’s seventh-generation prototype, Polaris, in suburban Seattle, Helion already is building its 50-megawatt commercial power plant, Orion, 130 miles away in Malaga—near Microsoft’s growing data center campus. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026

And by February 2024, the Army had deployed four laser prototypes to the Middle East. —Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026

Max & Lily knows kid’s furniture and here’s the perfect prototype to prove it. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Greek prōtotypon, from neuter of prōtotypos archetypal, from prōt- + typos type

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prototype

• allotype
• antitype
• archetype
• biotype
• collotype
• genotype
• haplotype
• holotype
• hypotype
• isotype
• lectotype
• linotype

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Kids Definition

prototype

noun

pro·​to·​type ˈprōt-ə-ˌtīp 

: an original model on which something is patterned