Definition of prototypenext
1
as in example
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like a literary character who is regarded as the prototype of the fanatical and intolerant pursuer of justice

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2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the Greek epic that is the prototype of the hero myth

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3
as in original
something from which copies are made the manufacturer exhaustively tested the prototype of the vehicle before approving production

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prototype Schneider said the building’s design will follow the new prototype for Holiday Inn Express. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026 In November 2017, Musk unveiled the Tesla Semi prototype at a SpaceX facility in Hawthorne. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026 In recent weeks, prototypes have been spotted without side mirrors and with a rear camera washer, apparently necessary to assist with Tesla’s camera-only autonomous strategy. Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 7 Feb. 2026 Curiously, most all Bristol cars made from the 1946 prototype share a 114-inch wheelbase, imparting a proportional family resemblance across all models. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prototype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototype
Noun
  • Whole fruit, for example, behaves very differently than cookies or candy.
    Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 11 Feb. 2026
  • In Major League Baseball, for example, a pitcher recovering from a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow may be unable to load that arm for up to two months following surgery.
    Dana Santas, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Manufactured between 1960 and 1980, Scouts were beefy 4x4s and a forerunner to the SUV.
    Justin Wingerter, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • There are also expanded indoor and outdoor seating areas at the new store, versus the original at the Town Plaza shopping center, which opened with 19,600 square feet in 2003.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Officials said there was no chain of custody for the materials, agents took originals and didn't retain copies and the ballots shouldn't have been physically removed from Fulton County.
    Irene Wright, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Facilities require adequate time to design and install the groundwater monitoring system, collect eight independent samples, and conduct statistical analysis.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Flying is the company’s second Nova-C lander named Athena featuring NASA’s PRIME-1 drill, to land a drill and mass spectrometer near the south pole of the moon in order to demonstrate the feasibility of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure the volatile content of subsurface samples.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.
    Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 13 Feb. 2026
  • There’s a direct line from Licklider’s work to ARPANET, a precursor to the internet and World Wide Web, through the work of Robert Taylor, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Tim Berners-Lee.
    Big Think, Big Think, 9 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Many of these jars contain unknown or poorly documented chemical mixtures that could be toxic to humans or harmful to the specimens themselves if disturbed.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Officials said the exhibit will feature a customized collection of specimens, artifacts, murals and artwork curated by the Kauffman Museum at Bethel College in Kansas.
    Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • But now, a series of tea parties with an ape named Kanzi suggests some of our closest ancestors may have this ability too.
    Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The findings also suggest that herbivory evolved independently in several different groups of early land vertebrates, not just in the ancestors of modern reptiles.
    Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • By the end of that format’s 12-year run, including several instances in which the best overall driver of the year was shut out from the title or even competing in the championship race, a majority of fans and drivers were more than ready for something else.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • In these instances, there are alternative options, like Reglan, a prescription drug used to treat GERD plus nausea and vomiting, or rectal suppositories like promethazine, that may be a better fit.
    Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prototype. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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