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What is the Difference Between cliché and stereotype?
The words cliché and stereotype have a good deal in common. Both come from French, both were originally printers’ terms, and both have come to take on somewhat negative meanings in modern use.
Their original meanings are essentially synonymous, referring to printing blocks from which numerous prints could be made. In fact, cliché means stereotype in French. Their modern meanings, however, are quite distinct. Cliché is today overwhelmingly encountered in reference to something hackneyed, such as an overly familiar or commonplace phrase, theme, or expression. Stereotype is most frequently now employed to refer to an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic.
Examples of cliché in a Sentence
William F. Buckley, Jr., National Review, 1 May 2000
FILM "I Like It Like That": It has every cliché of the 'hood genre, elevated by a strong woman protagonist and a few comic moments.
—Bell Hooks, Ms., September/October 1994
I'd never been out with a model before, so I hadn't even bargained on the cliché of the rock star and the model as being part of my life.
—David Bowie, quoted in Rolling Stone, 10 June 1993
Time has been the best healer for the pain of loss, just as the old cliché says, but letting go is still difficult.
—Lynn McAndrews, My Father Forgets, 1990
… don't seek the ultimate, general solution; find a corner that can be defined precisely and, as our new cliché proclaims, go for it.
—Stephen Jay Gould, Natural History, July 1987
a speech filled with clichés about “finding your way” and “keeping the faith”
The macho cop of Hollywood movies has become a cliché.
Josh Kendall, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
All while staying far, far away from the tropes and cliches associated with your typical medical drama.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
His candor bucks convention, running against the constant cliches or coachspeak from his counterparts.
—Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
During his two-minute tribute, Dr. Robby — who’s suffering from acute existential exhaustion on top of the day’s extra-fine grind — falls back on a handful of cliches.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Apr. 2025
The song, the first disco hit and an indelible gay anthem, here feels like a pandering cliche.
—Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
However, and forgive the cliche, but GenAI tools are evolving so fast that what got your organization here won’t get it there.
—Clint Boulton, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Although spring training is the time for even the most downtrodden of teams to speak optimistically, the way that the Angels talk about Fasano goes beyond the normal cliches.
—Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2025
Because of that opposite cliche: Spring evaluations are really hard.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cliché.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clich%C3%A9. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cliché
noun
French, literally, "metal printing plate"
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