as in notions
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in overuses
to use so much as to make less appealing
Movies have stereotyped the domineering mother-in-law ad nauseam.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 stereotypes
Jennifer Moss, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
Hardly devoid of 1920s-era racial stereotypes, Vandercook at least tried to humanize his subject.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
In the worst-case scenario, though, ads promoting stereotypes may result in reputational damage.
—Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
While some reactions reinforced old stereotypes, others provided comfort and community.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Harris also challenged racial stereotypes.
—Time, 17 Sep. 2025
But stereotypes are hard to break.
—Remy Dou, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
Slickcity Media is training AI to reimagine African stereotypes — their viral Elder Series challenged African aesthetics.
—Moky Makura, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
In addition to breaking stereotypes around aging, the show also pushed boundaries with its sometimes risqué humor, which was considered daring for primetime in the 1980s.
—Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2025
These words have different meanings in the context of AAVE, some say, and using them in a way that appropriates or stereotypes certain people groups strips away the importance of the original definitions.
—Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
Youngism, the set of stereotypes and practices that discount younger workers as unreliable, lazy and disloyal, has outpaced any other type of ageism — and the economic impacts are startling.
—Jennifer Moss, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025
Hardly devoid of 1920s-era racial stereotypes, Vandercook at least tried to humanize his subject.
—Marlene L. Daut
september 22, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
In the worst-case scenario, though, ads promoting stereotypes may result in reputational damage.
—Roman Vrublivskyi, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
While some reactions reinforced old stereotypes, others provided comfort and community.
—Staff Author, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2025
Harris also challenged racial stereotypes.
—Time, 17 Sep. 2025
But stereotypes are hard to break.
—Remy Dou, The Conversation, 16 Sep. 2025
Slickcity Media is training AI to reimagine African stereotypes — their viral Elder Series challenged African aesthetics.
—Moky Makura, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2025
In addition to breaking stereotypes around aging, the show also pushed boundaries with its sometimes risqué humor, which was considered daring for primetime in the 1980s.
—Ashley Hume , Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
These words have different meanings in the context of AAVE, some say, and using them in a way that appropriates or stereotypes certain people groups strips away the importance of the original definitions.
—Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotypes
Noun
-
What were once civic duties, such as collecting taxes and maintaining order, became investment opportunities, and the commodification of public service weakened once-strong notions of citizenship and civic duty.—
Zephyr Teachout,
The Atlantic,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Written in an historical moment when British society’s notions of class were changing, Austen depicts a world where rich bachelors are rare, and single women who are genteel but not wealthy are seeking their fortunes by finding and marrying one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That’s important, since many people make the mistake—both in the gym and daily life—of shrugging their shoulders up to their ears, which overuses the upper traps and elevates the scapula.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
One of the most difficult concepts for anyone — even a professional astrophysicist — to wrap their minds around is the idea of the Big Bang and the expanding Universe.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Of course, all our concepts are invented.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The hierarchy of money is present in both conceptions, it is not spelled out explicitly in either conception.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The whole ordeal exhausts the mother turtle.—
Taylor Hagood,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The idea of festivals just exhausts me.—
Meg Zukin,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stereotypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotypes. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share