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
In the February 1984 issue: Latin America: A media stereotype Over time, Vargas Llosa realized that this kind of reflexive leftism was naive. Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025 Scarred by infighting, the insecure NBC show eventually became a hate-watch for many and had all kinds of stereotypes, from diva catfights to sleazy directors to avaricious personal assistants. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
In many cases, Bungalow Belt dwellers resented being stereotyped for expressing fears for which others are given a pass. Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025 Millennials have been stereotyped since, well, the turn of the century. Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stereotype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stereotype
Noun
  • The concept also seems to have a lot of runway to growth, something Susquehanna’s investment helped with immediately.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Trump is challenged by the concept of a free press.
    Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The word timeless can sometimes be overused in fashion, but this is that word in action.
    Libby Page, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Side effects can vary based on your overall condition and the specific vitamin or supplement overused.
    Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The notion of an international order based on rules, norms, and broadly shared values has deep roots.
    Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Black women, who have always been the blueprint for Western style and culture, continue to resist this notion by proving that exclusion is not a prerequisite for being iconic.
    Ava Pauline Emilione, Them., 29 Apr. 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
  • However, both adoption and conception turned out to be challenging journeys.
    Jordan Greene, People.com, 14 Apr. 2025
  • This is in part due not only to changes in writing and conception, but also in performances.
    Christian Lewis, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The 13-mile-long San Jacinto Tunnel was bored through the mountain in the 1930s by a crew of about 1,200 men who worked day and night for six years, blasting rock and digging with machinery.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The area was by then well known for its wine, and the tops of barrels sent by boat bore the initals CDR for coste du Rhône, an early sign of its provenance.
    Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Carney and Sheinbaum offer an opportunity to test a different theory.
    Justin Worland, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Terrain theory applied Terrain theory's clash with reality has become painfully apparent amid Kennedy's handling—or more accurately, mishandling—of the current measles situation in the US.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Photo-Illustration: Wired Staff; Matthias Balk/Getty Images Starting today, Bluesky is rolling out a new verification system, complete with the familiar blue check marks popularized by Twitter.
    Kate Knibbs, Wired News, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Believed to have originated in 15th-century Italy as a card game used by nobility, the original deck was expanded and popularized by 18th-century French occultists; and again later in the 20th century, when modern tarot was born thanks to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909.
    Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stereotype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stereotype. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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