stereotype
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A conventional or formulaic conception or image.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
stehreeuhtypSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈstɛɹiətaɪp
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A conventional or formulaic conception or image
“Regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding.”
psychology
A person who is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.
verb
transitivefigurative
To make firm or permanent; to fix.
Treat or classify according to a mental stereotype
“I was stereotyped as a lazy Southern European.”
transitive
To make a stereotype of someone or something, or characterize someone by a stereotype.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A conventional or formulaic conception or image
Used this way, stereotype is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Conventionalnoun
“Regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding.”
Treatverb
“I was stereotyped as a lazy Southern European.”
More ways to use stereotype
- “Regional stereotypes have been part of America since its founding.”noun
- “I was stereotyped as a lazy Southern European.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: to make firm or permanent
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.