stereotype 1 of 2

Definition of stereotypenext
as in concept
an idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation the noble savage was a stereotype that appealed to 18th-century intellectuals, who viewed European civilization as decadent and corrupt

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stereotype

2 of 2

verb

as in to overuse
to use so much as to make less appealing Movies have stereotyped the domineering mother-in-law ad nauseam.

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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 stereotype
Noun
This powerful ensemble portrays American stereotypes of the time — the yuppie, the drug dealer, the TV star — and deftly humanizes them. Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 29 Jan. 2026 There is a really harmful and untrue stereotype that bisexual men are actually just gay men. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
Mormons have also sometimes been falsely stereotyped as being polygamists because some of their early founders and members were, but the group banned polygamy in 1890. Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 2025 Although dogs and cats are often stereotyped as natural enemies, animal behaviorists say that, with proper introductions and a calm environment, these species can form deep and lasting bonds. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stereotype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotype
Noun
  • Employers increasingly seek candidates who understand AI concepts, can work alongside AI systems, and develop AI solutions.
    Micki Meyer, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Bar director Justin Sheffey and bar manager Christopher Osman invent new cocktails and innovate concepts on old-school tipples.
    Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Education experts and parent advocates who are concerned about schools overusing devices for instruction said the documents shed new light, in candid detail, on the business motivations behind one of the biggest technology companies marketing its products to teachers and school administrators.
    Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 23 Jan. 2026
  • So, if the idea of culture is overused, its importance tells the path to success — or failure.
    Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Over the past few days, however, traders have reacted to the notion that AI also has the power to destroy the revenues of companies reliant on selling traditional software that can be replaced by AI.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The second annual Jambaloo erases that notion.
    Thor Christensen, Dallas Morning News, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.
    BostonGlobe.com, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Oct. 2019
  • Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.
    Leon Neyfakh, Slate Magazine, 2 June 2017
Noun
  • The response affirmed something central to Kaplow’s conception of Hart — that comedy was not optional.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026
  • What unifies these thinkers is a totalizing and conspiratorial conception of modern liberal politics.
    Laura K. Field, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • And maybe part of that call of fate was to work for the brilliant, but odd, and never boring Irving Langmuir.
    Natalia Sánchez Loayza, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Basic doesn't have to mean boring.
    Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Warsh’s theory of the case is built in part on his long-standing criticism of the Fed’s massive balance sheet.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2026
  • By calling itself an institute, the artist-run organization adopts the traditional markers of academic power while collapsing the hierarchies of collegiate critical theory and interdisciplinary studies programs.
    Catherine Taft, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The show must go on, even without the person who helped popularize it.
    Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 2 Feb. 2026
  • OpenAI was the first company to popularize a large language model (LLM) that turned plain-English instructions into code.
    Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 31 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Stereotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotype. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.

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