prototype
verb
Gulf Oil & GasTabby McFarland
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.
Examples of prototype in a Sentence
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
Princeton University—to prototype string crystallization technology to produce lithium concentrates from various types of saline water at a rate of 200 gallons daily.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
Where there was once just one, there are now 20 modern multi-axis CNC machines for prototyping.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
The Eureka Innovation Lab, housed inside of a more than century-old brick building since 2013, is staffed by about 20 Levi’s employees and is where designs and ideas are prototyped and come alive.
—Laura Waxmann, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prototype
Cite this Entry
“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prototype. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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prototype
noun
