stereotypical

adjective

ste·​reo·​typ·​i·​cal ˌster-ē-ə-ˈti-pi-kəl 

1

or less commonly stereotypic

ˌster-ē-ə-ˈti-pik 

: conforming to a fixed or general pattern or type especially when of an oversimplified or prejudiced nature : of, relating to, or constituting a stereotype

Charlie Stuart represents a new breed of motorcyclists who are erasing the stereotypical black-leather-jacket, tough-guy image that plagued motorcyclists since the violent Hollywood productions of the Fifties.

—Sue Browder

His book concedes that progress has been made in a sheerly numerical sense, but it argues that overall the black presence on television has been an endless recycling of a passel of injuriously stereotypical images.

—John McWhorter

2

or stereotypic : of, relating to, or marked by stereotypy

a

medical : characterized by frequent repetition of the same, typically purposeless movement, gesture, posture, or vocal sound or utterance

Other stereotypical behaviors such as hand flapping and chewing on clothing or objects may be connected to sensory processing problems or anxiety.

—Cori Urban

… periodic leg movements during sleep, commonly known as nocturnal myoclonus—rapid, stereotypic, and periodic flexion of the legs and feet associated with repeated awakenings throughout the night.

—Patricia N. Prinz et al.

b

veterinary medicine : characterized by abnormal repetitive behavior

Many animals cope with unstimulating or small environments through stereotypic behavior … such as pacing, bar biting …

—Laura Smith

stereotypically

ˌster-ē-ə-ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

She wanted her staff to work together and get along. So on a hot July night, Katharine Graham did a stereotypically female thing: She threw a party.

—Judith M. Havemann

Examples of stereotypical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That may go unnoticed by most American viewers, but the presence of drugs, human trafficking, and plenty of stereotypical Latino bad hombres will be recognizable to them, based on other projects set in this region. —Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 12 Apr. 2024

As a Black woman reclaiming country music, Beyoncé stands in opposition to stereotypical associations of the genre with White artists. —Lucia Suarez Sang, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024

Consider the stereotypical woman loaded up with shopping bags, and consider the stereotypical man rolling his eyes at the credit-card bill. —Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024

Seeking to escape the rampant typecasting for stereotypical Black characters, Esposito leaned into the advantages his phenotype provided him to play characters not written to be African American. —Rivea Ruff, Essence, 2 Apr. 2024

Porter, who is half Japanese, wanted the garden to reflect a little of her mother’s heritage without feeling too obviously thematic or stereotypical. —Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

For instance, what if the curators had invited an Indigenous person making A.I. works instead of the stereotypical references to tribal arts? —Martha Schwendener, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024

When the show aired, Vergara regularly defended her character against criticism of her stereotypical characteristics, her accent included. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 14 Jan. 2024

Over time, there has been a notable shift from stereotypical and often negative portrayals of Blackness, towards more diverse, nuanced, and empowering representations. —Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

stereotypical

adjective

ste·​reo·​typ·​i·​cal ˌster-ē-ə-ˈtip-i-kəl 

variants or stereotypic

-ik 

: of, relating to, or marked by stereotypy:

a

: characterized by frequent repetition of the same, typically purposeless movement, gesture, posture, or vocal sound or utterance

Other stereotypical behaviors such as hand flapping and chewing on clothing or objects may be connected to sensory processing problems or anxiety.

—Cori Urban

… periodic leg movements during sleep, commonly known as nocturnal myoclonus—rapid, stereotypic, and periodic flexion of the legs and feet associated with repeated awakenings throughout the night.

—Patricia N. Prinz et al.

b

veterinary medicine : characterized by abnormal repetitive behavior

Many animals cope with unstimulating or small environments through stereotypic behavior … such as pacing, bar biting, and Gus' figure-eight swimming.

—Laura Smith

stereotypically

ˌster-ē-ə-ˈtip-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb