stereotype

ste·reo·type | \ ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp

How to pronounce stereotype (audio)

, ˈstir- \

stereotyped; stereotyping; stereotypes

Definition of stereotype

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to make a stereotype from

2a : to repeat without variation : make hackneyed

b : to develop a mental stereotype about

stereotype

Definition of stereotype (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from stereotype Synonyms What is the Difference Between cliché and stereotype? Example Sentences Learn More about stereotype

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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 stereotype in a Sentence

Verb 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 Noun 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 on the Web: Verb Tchotchke, however reductive, was a booming cottage industry, stereotype a commodity of its own. — Murray Whyte, BostonGlobe.com, "At Peabody Essex, a reset on South Asian art," 14 Jan. 2021 More broadly, Button wrote, people tend to stereotype older workers as inflexible, unambitious, physically and cognitively weak, and bad with technology. — Washington Post, "The first millennials turn 40 on Jan. 1. That’s old enough to sue for age discrimination.," 29 Dec. 2020 In late September, the group members opened their workbooks and listed the ways conservatives and liberals stereotype each other. — WSJ, "Abortion, Guns and Trump: A Church Group Tries to Navigate America’s Divisions," 18 Dec. 2020 To win primaries this year, most Republican candidates tried to prove their conservative and pro-Trump bona fides—but especially women, whom voters tend to stereotype as more moderate than their male colleagues. — Naomi Nix, Bloomberg.com, "Today’s Republican Women Are Running Hard to the Right," 25 Sep. 2020 Blackface originated in the 19th century as a way for white actors to stereotype black Americans. — James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska House candidate dressed in blackface in 2012," 12 June 2020 Trying to reclaim a part of themselves that has been shunned and stereotyped. — al, "Alabama artist’s sculpture on display in Chicago park," 17 Jan. 2020 Salespeople can also be stereotyped as pushy, smooth-talking, or dishonest. — Jackie Pilossoph, chicagotribune.com, "Column: This holiday season, give a knowing nod to the salespeople in your life," 5 Dec. 2019 Take Bakersfield, a city that has long been stereotyped as a place of smog and economic malaise. — Tim Arango, BostonGlobe.com, "In prosperous California, anxiety over inequality abounds," 29 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The bad-Asian-driver stereotype is a real thing to confront. — Ryan Mcginley; Styling By Yashua Simmons, Harper's BAZAAR, "You Know Awkwafina, But Have You Met Nora Lum?," 15 Jan. 2021 The pretty, pugnacious, mercurial Fox Richardson is seen as the ultimate black Millennial stereotype through which black victimization goes on forever. — Armond White, National Review, "The 100 Percent Pure Cliché of Prison-Reform Activism," 30 Dec. 2020 But look at the wider French business landscape and the stereotype is out of date. — The Economist, "Schumpeter Unshackling France SA," 12 Dec. 2020 But not this stereotype of female empathy is not universal. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, "The best A.I. movies and TV shows," 8 Dec. 2020 But that stereotype is wrong — especially in Sharon's hands. — Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan Opera Theatre drives into the pandemic era with a fresh take on a classic," 30 Oct. 2020 And while that stereotype may be partially true, one brewery is challenging it by releasing a new IPA that features an extremely trendy ingredient: oat milk. — Olivia Harrison, refinery29.com, "Oat Milk Has Made Its Way Into IPAs — What Will Hipsters Say?," 1 Oct. 2020 Power is often associated with our culture’s stereotype of the masculine ideal. — Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, "Why Is Hollywood Obsessed With Killer Mums?," 25 Nov. 2020 Dickerson also had an intellectual curiosity that belied the stereotype of a burly offensive lineman. — Mike Rodak | Mrodak@al.com, al, "The stories behind the grit, smarts Landon Dickerson brings to Alabama," 17 Dec. 2020

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.

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Learn More about stereotype

Dictionary Entries near stereotype

Statistics for stereotype

Last Updated

20 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Stereotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stereotype. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for stereotype

stereotype

verb

English Language Learners Definition of stereotype

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

stereotype

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stereotype (Entry 2 of 2)

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

See the full definition for stereotype in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stereotype

ste·reo·type | \ ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp

, ˈstir- \

Kids Definition of stereotype

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

stereotype

ste·reo·type

stereotyped; stereotyping

Kids Definition of stereotype (Entry 2 of 2)

: to form a fixed and often untrue or only partly true idea about It's unfair to stereotype people according to where they live.

stereotype

ste·reo·type | \ ˈster-ē-ə-ˌtīp

, ˈstir-

\

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

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