stereotype

UK /ˈsterɪəˌtaɪp/ US /ˈsterɪəˌtaɪp/ Syllables: ster-e-o-type

Pronunciation

Noun B1 Intermediate Neutral

An oversimplified and widely held idea about a type of person or thing that isn't always accurate.

A stereotype is a fixed, oversimplified idea about a type of person or thing, repeated without checking. Stereotypes treat everyone in a group as if they were the same, so they are often unfair and wrong. A stereotype can be about a nationality, a job, an age or a gender. The word can also describe a typical example of something, such as the stereotype of the absent-minded professor. Close words are cliche, generalization, preconception and caricature. Stereotype is also a verb, as in to stereotype someone, which means to judge them by a fixed idea. The adjective is stereotypical or stereotyped. In printing, a stereotype was also a metal plate used to print pages.

"The movie relied on tired stereotypes instead of real characters."

Meanings

An oversimplified and widely held idea about a type of person or thing.
A metal printing plate cast from a mold (printing).

Example sentences

"The film breaks the stereotype of the lonely scientist."

Level B2, Meaning 1
"It is a stereotype that all teenagers sleep late."

Level B1, Meaning 1
"She hates being judged by a stereotype."

Level B2, Meaning 1
"Advertising can repeat harmful stereotypes."

Level B2, Meaning 1
"The printer used a stereotype to print thousands of copies."

Level C2, Meaning 2

Synonyms and antonyms

Synonyms

generalization cliche

Look-alikes and common mistakes

cliché : A cliché is an overused phrase or idea. A stereotype is a fixed idea about a group of people.
prejudice : Prejudice is an unfair feeling or opinion. A stereotype is the simplified picture that often supports it.
archetype : An archetype is a typical or original example of something, without the unfair judgment a stereotype often carries.
generalization : A generalization is a broad statement drawn from many cases. A stereotype is a fixed and often wrong one.

Word family and forms

Forms: stereotypes, stereotyped, stereotyping

stereotypical stereotypically stereotyped stereotyping

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "stereotype".

a common stereotype
gender stereotype
challenge stereotypes
break a stereotype
cultural stereotype
fit the stereotype
a negative stereotype

Origin

Stereotype came into English in the late 1700s, borrowed from French. It is built from stereo, meaning solid, and type, and it first named a metal printing plate. The sense of an oversimplified idea about a group is recorded from the early 1900s.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

"Stereotype" is often used as a verb too, as in "don't stereotype people based on where they're from."

How to remember it

Stereo means solid and type means a printed character. A stereotype was a solid printing plate that stamped the same page again and again, as a stereotype stamps the same idea on many people.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "The film breaks the _____ of the lonely scientist."

Answer: stereotype

In your own words, what does "stereotype" mean?