PROTOTYPE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

prototype

noun

ˈprō-tə-ˌtīp

Definition of prototype

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 And the first real test of those systems could come next year with Artemis III, a mission that aims to send a prototype lander from each company to low-Earth orbit to practice docking with NASA’s Orion crew capsule. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 In 2012, working from his parents’ garage and camper trailer, 19-year-old Luckey completed the prototype for the Oculus Rift, a low-cost virtual reality headset built from off-the-shelf smartphone components. — Bydavid Schepp, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026 Repurposing a prototype One of the scientists, and the initiator of the record-creating project, was Pierre Léna. — Dhananjay Khadilkar, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 Engineers plan to drill larger-diameter wells and install additional prototype equipment before beginning a full-scale reactor demonstration. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prototype

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototype

Noun

One example is United Airlines’ fleet of Boeing 767s, which feature all the carrier’s very latest cabin comfort experiences, but four of which entered service way back in 1991.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Smithsonian’s The Tree Book and Cesar Leonardi and Franca Stagi’s The Architecture of Trees are just a few examples of the literature available on the shelves.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of example

Noun

Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

Soil samples from the two elementary school campuses, City Terrace and Christopher Dena, exceeded the applicable regulatory screening levels of lead, which were flagged for further evaluation.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
As part of this contract, the partnership acquired a dedicated Zodiac boat to collect water samples.

— Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of sample

Noun

That facility is described as a precursor to the larger Terafab project.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Exhibits will include original equipment, Cold War archives, veterans’ oral histories, and a rare early ARPANET system—a precursor to today’s internet.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of precursor

Noun

After carefully selecting specimens with reliable dates and locations, the team extracted DNA using techniques designed for highly degraded historical samples.

— Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Mass carpet roses in foundation plantings for a colorful ground layer or use larger specimens as accents.

— Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of specimen

Noun

While Silicon Valley has since moved on to shaping the future of artificial intelligence, these hardware enthusiasts are intent on saving the Atari, Commodore and IBM machines that are ancestors to today’s laptops, wearable devices and smartphones.

— Terry Chea, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Long before dinosaurs ruled the continents and modern crocodiles first appeared, their ancestors were already going through a decisive phase in their evolutionary history.

— The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

But these instances also happened under very specific circumstances.

— Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Many of the creators who worked with Steyer’s campaign disclosed that they were paid, but the state’s campaign finance watchdog is investigating several other instances in which creators allegedly didn’t.

— Sophie Austin, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of instance

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Style

“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prototype. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of prototype

noun

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