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 Figma’s software is popular among designers inside companies who need to collaborate on prototypes for websites and apps. Jordan Novet, CNBC, 15 Apr. 2025 Nemo audaciously steals a prototype submarine from the penal colony in which he is imprisoned, escaping into the ocean with a motley crew of fellow prisoners. Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 11 Apr. 2025 After earmarking 610 billion won ($414 million) to build a battery plant near its Busan headquarters, the company unveiled its battery prototype in March 2024, touting it as more powerful than Tesla’s. Gloria Haraito, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 The prototype Bat flipped the traditional coaster concept on its head — with the trains swinging from side to side while hanging below the track. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prototype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototype
Noun
  • In Southern California, for example, the 50501 spokesman says food drives are planned to support people who continue to struggle in the wake of the January wildfires as well as those who may be affected by the rising price of goods amid President Trump's tariffs.
    Emma Bowman, NPR, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Visitors can double as such, by picking up trash, for example, and otherwise looking out for the environment at the parks.
    Addy Bink, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Indeed, VistaVision was the forerunner of IMAX 65mm, with its horizontal orientation.
    Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The company plans to recreate the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, by editing the genome of each species’ closest living relative to make a hybrid animal that would be visually indistinguishable from its extinct forerunner.
    Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Those fans got their wish with a model that's twice the size of the original.
    Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
  • And also the counterfeiters also make clothes or accessories and other goods that are often just as good or hard to spot as the originals.
    Ailsa Chang, NPR, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The victim experienced a miscarriage approximately six months into the pregnancy, at which point detectives obtained a sample of the fetal tissue.
    Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The blood sample is usually analyzed at a separate center, so results can take a few days to come back.
    Ruth Jessen Hickman, MD, Health, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • CSAs have often been precursors to broader agreements among countries.
    Ngaire Woods, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Many people at Saturday’s protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights of transgender people.
    Kwiyeon Ha and Pan Pylas, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The monument also includes the Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center, which contains thousands of fossil specimens and features a research laboratory that's open to the public.
    Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • The First to Know test offers a 15-minute diagnosis from one to three drops of blood that correctly identifies 99.5% of negative specimens and 93.4% of positive specimens.
    Carmen Rios, Flow Space, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Like all Guna, Lisa’s ancestors were not native island dwellers.
    Mark Johanson, AFAR Media, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Water bottle The modern-day source of water for many people—their water bottle—may be just as germ-filled as our ancient ancestors’ go-to watering hole.
    Matt Fuchs, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In this instance, the main focus isn't the sausages.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • There are unique instances of automakers figuratively moving mountains and spending billions of dollars to get things done more quickly.
    Michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prototype. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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