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 When a prototype app is finished, Meta employees will test it before its full public launch for both iPhones and Android devices, the documents state. Bobby Allyn, NPR, 24 June 2026 The second device is a one-millimeter-thick flexible silicone LED face mask, currently in prototype form, developed with iSMART Developments. Allison Palmer updated June 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026 Slate is continuing to build out that facility while also producing prototype vehicles. Michael Wayland, CNBC, 24 June 2026 There is a big difference between talking about an idea in theory and putting a prototype together in a few hours so people can react to it. Yuri Gubin, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for prototype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototype
Noun
  • The Chicago suburb of Kenilworth and the Washington, DC, suburb of Chevy Chase, for example, have fewer than 5,000 households each.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 24 June 2026
  • This is just one example of the many good Turkish Clinics that offer hair transplants at lower prices than those in some markets.
    Malana VanTyler, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 June 2026
  • In 2007, the Oatley family opened Qualia, their 30-acre flagship property and the forerunner of Australia’s luxury lodges.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Noun
  • The spectacularly antic tale of originals and doubles, locals and outsiders, visually and philosophically lampoons the very concept of identity.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 26 June 2026
  • The 2005 original was given a relatively large $33 million to play with, directed by a future Emmy winner, and graced with cameos from legends Alan Shearer and Zinedine Zidane.
    Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • The boil-water notice was issued out an abundance of caution, the LADWP said, as additional testing is being done and samples collected.
    Seamus Bozeman Follow, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • The ideal is to be able to smell a sample - then buy a prepacked equivalent.
    Peter Su, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • Those resolutions are considered a precursor to the Declaration of Independence.
    Salena Zito, Washington Post, 1 July 2026
  • Feeding peanuts to the fans evolved, but the early days, whether for the precursor to Aramark or the work of Stevens, were all about a few simple items.
    Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Noun
  • The faster growth sits in those same non-blood specimens, much of it colonization rather than serious infection.
    John Drake, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • The team also found that the carbon in both rocks was relatively intact, meaning the specimens might be resistant to radiation and oxidation or that it may have been recently exposed to the Martian surface.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.
    Mike Catalini, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • One of these is likely the evolutionary ancestor of all that is to come.
    Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Multiple instances of buildup were found throughout the establishment, including the inside of a microwave, the ice machine and a hand sink.
    Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2026
  • While none of these are universal markers — because in some instances, higher diversity can actually be associated with certain diseases — taken together, all of these can be markers of how well the microbiome is doing.
    Will Stone, NPR, 22 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prototype. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.

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