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 The bird’s name is attached to several Australian rules football clubs in the country, including the Collingwood Magpies, whose fans are often stereotyped as particularly belligerent. — David Crawshaw, Washington Post, "Angry birds: Swooping Australian magpie causes fatal cyclist crash," 18 Sep. 2019 Larkin has previously, obliviously, stereotyped the African American Kendra as lower class and her son as a gangsta. — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, "Review: ‘American Son’ an absorbing, suspenseful drama about racial profiling at TheaterWorks," 25 Oct. 2019 The bird’s name is attached to several Australian rules football clubs in the country, including the Collingwood Magpies, whose fans are often stereotyped as particularly belligerent. — BostonGlobe.com, "It’s springtime Down Under, and along with overexuberant local football fans, that means another annual menace on Australian streets: angry birds.," 17 Sep. 2019 And while other sections of The Times either ignored L.A.’s Mexican American community or stereotyped them. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, "For over 137 years, no newspaper has covered Mexican food better than the L.A. Times," 17 Sep. 2019 Hiring more Latino creatives is a crucial first step to changing the narratives that have long excluded or stereotyped the community. — Stacy L. Smith, Time, "Hollywood Has the Power to Combat Damaging Stereotypes About Latinos. Here's Proof That It's Utterly Failing," 27 Aug. 2019 Historically, black women have been stereotyped, marginalized, or altogether missing in these narratives. — Anne Showalter, Smithsonian, "The Fierce Pride and Passion of Rhinestone Fashion," 9 Aug. 2019 Children with more exposure to people of other races are less likely to stereotype and more likely to seek out diverse experiences as adults. — Erica Frankenberg, The Conversation, "What school segregation looks like in the US today, in 4 charts," 19 July 2019 In classic musicals, Kaats says, people of color and the LGBTQ community were excluded or stereotyped. — Kathy Berdan, Twin Cities, "Classic musical ’42nd Street’ revamped for new audiences at the Ordway," 18 July 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The student organization targeted in the football players' conversation, Black Male Empowerment, was founded in 2017 by Dennis Beale, a UW-Eau Claire employee, to help African-American men thrive in college and combat stereotypes. — Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW-Eau Claire suspends five football players for racist Snapchat conversation that used KKK image," 20 Nov. 2019 The writers clearly strive to say something big and deep about being a Woman Today, but the show doesn't get anywhere near insight or parody, reveling in offensive stereotypes rather than transcending them. — Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, "Review: Hulu's 'Dollface' is an offensive caricature of millennial women," 15 Nov. 2019 Based on the Uncle Remus stories, it has been criticized for perpetuating racist stereotypes. — Mark Dawidziak, cleveland, "Disney Plus launching with enough firepower to reshape the streaming universe," 10 Nov. 2019 Last week’s batch of science winners did little to move that needle, perpetuating stereotypes about who can be a brilliant scientist. — National Geographic, "Why are Nobel scientists so white, and so old?," 16 Oct. 2019 Spencer was criticized on social media for it, accused of bullying the young prince and perpetuating gender stereotypes. — Joey Morona, cleveland.com, "‘Good Morning America’ host Lara Spencer apologizes again for mocking Prince George for taking ballet lessons," 26 Aug. 2019 Trump's claim triggered a quick uproar from critics who said the Republican president was trading in anti-Semitic stereotypes. — Jonathan Lemire, Fortune, "Jewish People Who Vote Democrat Are Uninformed or Disloyal, Trump Tweets," 21 Aug. 2019 The scuffles between white students and the newcomers often had roots in harmful stereotypes about immigrants that had spread throughout the community, Towns adds. — BostonGlobe.com, "Immigrant students learn hard lessons about racism at a historically white high school in Maine," 14 Aug. 2019 Both defy prejudices to help their companions, even as their authors deal in ugly racial stereotypes. — The Economist, "Rudyard Kipling and the American imagination," 25 July 2019

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

4 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Stereotype.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stereotyping. Accessed 9 December 2019.

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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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