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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stereotype
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
As Cat Stevens, Yusuf came to embody the peace-loving, soul-searching stereotype of the Seventies troubadour.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Mia Thurow, jsonline.com, 20 Aug. 2025
This is, of course, a tremendously unfair characterization of the lunch lady, who, given her profession of feeding hungry children, ought to be stereotyped as saintly rather than monstrous.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stereotype
Noun
Both clips have drawn widespread praise for showing Gunner in a positive light and defying the stereotype that all XL bullies are inherently dangerous.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
As Cat Stevens, Yusuf came to embody the peace-loving, soul-searching stereotype of the Seventies troubadour.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
This is, of course, a tremendously unfair characterization of the lunch lady, who, given her profession of feeding hungry children, ought to be stereotyped as saintly rather than monstrous.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stereotype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotype
Noun
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But in the summer of 2023, when Fedorov first suggested his system of gamification, top military brass rejected the concept.—
Simon Shuster,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
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An open-concept kitchen and main living area have light wood floors, bright white walls contrasting with a dark tile backsplash that carries over into a wet bar with a wine cooler.—
Molly Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Annabelle has been in so many movies now, to the point of being overused (the real doll has even been suspected of paranormal activity recently).—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The redemption story is overused in sports, but Anisimova coming back from a double-bagel Wimbledon final defeat against Iga Świątek to beat the same player a couple of months later was extraordinary.—
The Athletic Tennis Staff,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The notion of sketch comedy, of all things, as a guide to life, that its lack of a safety net is a metaphor for how to live, is niche and peculiar.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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The bigger problem was that the new notions of the philosopher-revolutionaries didn’t actually work.—
Paul Kingsnorth,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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His versions were full-blooded, with lush strings and reasonably large orchestras — and, purists alleged — vulgarizing distortions.—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
28 Oct. 2019
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Ever since his rise to power, Trump has served as a vulgarizing agent.—
Leon Neyfakh,
Slate Magazine,
2 June 2017
Noun
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Since its conception, the festival has grown quickly over the years, drawing headline speakers such as Michelle Obama and Kara Swisher.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Your conception of this novel is beautiful in its detail.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The tunnel will be bored into rock 60 to 250 feet under the lakebed, using a tunnel boring machine that would progress 40 feet per day on average during construction.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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But most of the shows border on boring.—
Jerry Saltz,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni shut down that theory with a clear response on Monday.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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Davis is a registered nurse, earned a master’s degree in operational excellence and process improvement from Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, and earned a doctorate in adult learning theory from the University of Pennsylvania.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The success of the album helped popularize the 12-inch LP in popular music.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
15 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps no corporation has popularized low-iron and seamless glass in architecture more than the technology giant Apple.—
Aki Ishida,
The Conversation,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stereotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotype. Accessed 25 Sep. 2025.
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