stereotype 1 of 2

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
Araújo decided that her particular brand of rage bait would be to play into men’s stereotypes about female creators. Taylor Lorenz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2025 Through intimate interviews with players, coaches, parents, journalists and opponents, director Kevin Shaw probes media bias, racial stereotypes, community pride and the ethical complexities of youth sports—showing how a moment meant to celebrate young athletes became a lasting stigma. Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
For decades, the profession has been stereotyped as a world of calculators and spreadsheets, quietly humming in the background of business. Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025 But while working mom and trad wife stereotypes reign online and in popular culture, many moms fall somewhere in between those two tropes. Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stereotype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotype
Noun
  • Always Greener, which scored 15 nominations on the annual Brit List, is a high concept script that follows a struggling artist, haunted by past failure, who is given a one-in-a-million chance to become his rich and successful doppelganger from a parallel universe.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The challengers are also trying to channel the conservative justices’ skepticism about whether the Constitution allows other parts of the government to use powers reserved for Congress, a concept known as the nondelegation doctrine.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Shea butter and cocoa butter are thick and great ingredients that generally can’t be overused.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • However, both can cause side effects if overused.
    Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Even more poignant, however, is the Rosemary's Baby angle, where the innocence of childhood is drowned in blood and the notion that a young person reared in a loving environment should develop into a compassionate adult is perverted into unthinkable horror.
    Alan Bradley, Space.com, 8 Nov. 2025
  • This mismatch between perception and reality has real consequences, fueling the notion that higher education as a whole is elitist and out of touch, hiding the work of the colleges that educate millions of working- and middle-class families.
    Yolanda Watson Spiva, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
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
  • Farrell and Kidman are outstanding, even as Lanthimos' ritualistic plotting and direction keep them hemmed into their characters' rigid conceptions.
    Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In total, making the piece took four years from conception to creation.
    Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • His certainly-not-boring tale mortified numerous colleagues, including Crick, who even tried to block the book's publication.
    Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
  • This solid colored wool rug was the perfect neutral-but-not-boring option to balance out the space between visuals editor Lizzie Soufleris’ living room and dining area.
    Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The special explores theories about why the thieves targeted specific displays, who orchestrated this brazen operation and which fatal flaws in their plan ultimately led to their capture.
    Peter White, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The showgirl theory also holds in that fashion diapers seem to have taken off almost only among celebrities.
    Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • At the same time, his friend John Martin of Smirnoff vodka was desperate to popularize vodka in America.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The influential music star, born Michael D’Angelo Archer, is credited with helping popularize neo-soul — a genre of modern R&B and soul flavored with hip-hop, funk, rock and other influences.
    Melinda Yao, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stereotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotype. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.

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