Meaning & use
stereotype
A widely held but oversimplified and fixed idea about a particular type of person or thing.
See it in a sentence
The film was criticized for relying on lazy stereotypes about small-town life.
She worked hard to challenge the stereotype that engineers are always socially awkward.
A note on using this word
Stereotype can also be a verb meaning to view someone through such a fixed, oversimplified idea.
Words with a similar meaning
clichegeneralization
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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