Dictionary

stereotypical en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌstɛɹ.i.əˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˌstɛɹ.iː.əˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌstɪə̯-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌstɪə̯-/ (Australia)
• /ˌsteɹ.iː.əˈtəp.ə.kəl/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌstɪɹ-/ (Canada, General-American)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌsti(ː)ə̯-/ (New-Zealand)
• /ˌstɪː-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌsteɹ.iː.əˈtɪp.ɪ.kəl/ (Australia)
• stĕr′ē-ə-tĭp′ĭ-kəl
• stîr′-

Etymology

Etymology tree English stereotype Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ic Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Middle English -ical English -ical English stereotypical From stereotype + -ical.

Meanings

1. Pertaining to a stereotype; conventional.
   • There were a lot of young girls, in their early-twenties she guessed, many of them either Gothed up in thick black mascara and black lip stick, others looking like stereotypical Beat Girls in black rollnecks and jeans. 2007, James Burr, Ugly Stories for Beautiful People, page 45:
   • A drag queen may not comfortably fit the stereotypical homesteader mold. In the 19th century, homesteaders were Western pioneers who built new lives from necessity; on TikTok, the most popular homesteaders are often parents with young families or those with a lifelong connection to the practice, which often include so-called “tradwives,” or women who play a stereotypically gendered role in their family. 2025 March 30, Scottie Andrew, “Queer and trans homesteaders are conquering the social media frontier”, in CNN:
2. Banal, commonplace, and clichéd because of overuse.
   • I was disappointed by the stereotypical the-butler-did-it ending.
3. Relating to stereotypy.
   • Tics are brief, stereotypical behaviors that are initiated by an unconscious urge that can be temporarily suppressed. 2005, Lloyd J. Brown, Lee Todd Miller, Pediatrics, page 383:

Forms

Deriveds

unstereotypical · stereotypically · nonstereotypical · counterstereotypical

Relateds

stereotype · stereotyper · prototypical · stereotypic

Translations (19)

ka სტერეოტიპული (pertaining to a stereotype) · es manoseado (banal) · nl stereotiep (banal) · it stereotipo (relating to stereotypy) · it stereotipo (banal) · es gastado (banal) · ca estereotípic (pertaining to a stereotype) · es estereotípico (pertaining to a stereotype) · sv stereotyp (pertaining to a stereotype) · fi stereotyyppinen (banal) · fr stéréotypé (pertaining to a stereotype) · fi stereotyyppinen (pertaining to a stereotype) · gl estereotípico (pertaining to a stereotype) · nl stereotiep (pertaining to a stereotype) · es trillado (banal) · ka სტერეოტიპული (banal) · fi stereotyyppinen (relating to stereotypy) · es estereotipado (banal) · es tópico (pertaining to a stereotype)