stereotype

verb ste·reo·type \ ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp , ˈstir- \

|Updated on: 1 Aug 2018

Examples: stereotype in a Sentence

Editor's Note: What is the Difference Between cliché and stereotype?

Definition of stereotype

stereotyped; stereotyping; stereotypes

transitive verb

1 : to make a stereotype from

2 a : to repeat without variation : make hackneyed

b : to develop a mental stereotype about

—

stereotyper

noun

See stereotype defined for English-language learners

Examples of stereotype in a Sentence

It's not fair to stereotype a whole group of people based on one person you don't like.
movies have stereotyped the hooker with a heart of gold ad nauseam

Recent Examples of stereotype from the Web

The American mainstream often stereotypes classical fans as stodgy and stuck in the past.

— patrick neas, kansascity, "KC Fringe Festival brings an adventurous spirit to classical themes," 13 July 2018
And while the opioid crisis has been stereotyped as affecting mainly whites — who still made up the largest share of opioid overdoses in the city in 2017 — death rates among black opioid users are on the rise.

— aubrey whelan, Philly.com, "West Philadelphia nervously watches as fentanyl kills the unsuspecting," 5 July 2018
For years they were stereotyped as convenience-store owners and overachieving children.

— The Economist, "The Indian-American underachiever," 28 June 2018
The trend is even spilling over to cruises, once stereotyped as weight-gaining vacations with bottomless buffets.

— kelli kennedy, chicagotribune.com, "From celeb trainer workouts to cruises, 'wellness travel' is booming - and bringing in big money," 7 June 2018
Both sides felt pigeonholed and stereotyped over the years.

— lisa rosen, latimes.com, "'Wild, Wild Country' documents bizarre tale of sex, drugs and religious fervor," 13 June 2018
Since the 2016 election, many folks have tried to stereotype the coasts as the places living in their own bubbles.

— NBC News, "Meet the Press -May 20, 2018," 20 May 2018
Teaching date behavior — especially in a time when consent is at the forefront of young adult interaction — isn't a bad idea, but teaching date behavior by stereotyping gender roles is just plain wrong.

— sarah schreiber, Good Housekeeping, "Yep, This Sexist "Date Etiquette" Homework Was Assigned in 2017, Not the 1950s," 11 Jan. 2017
The show has, in the past, made efforts to avoid stereotyping its villains.

— rebecca farley, refinery29.com, "Quantico Is Under Fire For Controversial Terrorist Plot Line," 8 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stereotype.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

First Known Use of stereotype

1804

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

stereotype Synonyms

Synonyms

hackney, overexpose, overuse, vulgarize;

Related Words

bore, exhaust, overdo;

coarsen;

deplete, jade, tire, wear out;

popularize;

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

stereotype

noun

Definition of stereotype

1 : a plate cast from a printing surface

2 : something conforming to a fixed or general pattern; especially : a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment

—

stereotypical

play \ˌster-ē-ə-ˈti-pi-kəl\ or less commonly stereotypic play \ˌster-ē-ə-ˈti-pik\ adjective

—

stereotypically

play \ˌster-ē-ə-ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See stereotype defined for English-language learners

See stereotype defined for kids

Examples of stereotype in a Sentence

the stereotype of the absentminded professor
the noble savage was a stereotype that appealed to 18th-century intellectuals, who viewed European civilization as decadent and corrupt

Recent Examples of stereotype from the Web

More importantly, what gives them that je ne sais quoi is the differences that set them apart from that Brigitte Bardot stereotype.

— leah prinzivalli, Glamour, "10 Women Who Defy the 'French-Girl Beauty' Trope," 14 July 2018
Both governments also express their rejection of anti-Polonism and other negative national stereotypes.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Israeli historian accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of whitewashing Polish complicity in the Holocaust.," 5 July 2018
Behind the kitsch and stereotypes of the parade, then, is a complicated history of cross-cultural migration.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "How some Sacramentans will celebrate Independence Day in a town 4,000 miles from U.S.," 1 July 2018
By making the assumption that everyone has options, transportation stereotypes ignore greater equity issues.

— alissa walker, Curbed, "People are not defined by what we use to get around," 27 June 2018
All play important roles in the life of Alice Murphy, and none come off as stereotypes.

— lawrence toppman, charlotteobserver, "‘Bright Star,’ a musical tale of NC mountain life, glows steadily and endearingly," 27 June 2018
This is just nonsense, and for every criticism of the league that goes over the top, here is an example that fits every negative stereotype that's been earned over the years.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Mellinger Minutes: No M.D. for Chiefs' LDT, finding Royals hope (and an All-Star)," 26 June 2018
Coker is careful to avoid making all his Jamaican characters evil, or turning them into ethnic stereotypes.

— samantha nelson, The Verge, "Luke Cage is the first Netflix MCU show with a strong season 2," 22 June 2018
Gender dysphoria affects countless young gay boys as well as lesbian girls, along with straight boys and girls who don’t fit gender stereotypes but are nowhere near being trans or gay.

— andrew sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "If We Want to End the Border Crisis, It’s Time to Give Trump His Wall," 22 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of stereotype

French stéréotype, from stéré- stere- + type

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1817

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

stereotype Synonyms

Synonyms

concept, conception, generality, generalization, notion;

adage, proverb, saw, saying;

oversimplification, simplification;

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

STEREOTYPE Defined for English Language Learners

stereotype

verb

Definition of stereotype for English Language Learners

: to believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same

stereotype

noun

Definition of stereotype for English Language Learners

: an often unfair and untrue belief that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic

STEREOTYPE Defined for Kids

stereotype

noun ste·reo·type \ ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp , ˈstir- \

Definition of stereotype for Students

: a fixed idea that many people have about a thing or a group that may often be untrue or only partly true

stereotype

verb ste·reo·type

Definition of stereotype for Students

stereotyped; stereotyping

: to form a fixed and often untrue or only partly true idea about

It's unfair to stereotype people according to where they live.

Medical Dictionary

stereotype

transitive verb ste·reo·type \ ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp , ˈstir- \

medical Definition of stereotype

stereotyped; stereotyping

1 : to repeat without variation

stereotyped behavior

2 : to develop a mental stereotype about

stereotype

noun

medical Definition of stereotype

: something conforming to a fixed or general pattern; especially : an often oversimplified or biased mental picture held to characterize the typical individual of a group

—