Definitions

stereotypical

[ster-ee-uh-tip-i-kuhl, steer-] / ˌstɛr i əˈtɪp ɪ kəl, ˌstɪər- /

ADJECTIVE

usual; typical

Synonyms

STRONGEST

archetypal characteristic common customary ordinary prototypical stereotypic stock traditional typical usual

STRONG

routine

WEAK

banal bromidic clichéd cornball corny drained dull familiar tune flat hackneyed hokey jejune mildewed moth-eaten musty old hat overused platitudinal platitudinous prosaic ready-made run-of-the-mill shopworn stale threadbare timeworn uninspired unoriginal used-up vapid warmed-over well-worn worn-out

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The stereotypical British émigré used to be the retiree packing up for sunnier climes in Spain or France.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Fruit is an absurd but also simple way to reflect the formulaic, sensationalist and stereotypical world of dating reality TV, Lupinacci said.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Usually engaged in anodyne activities, they present idealized versions of childhood: full of stereotypical sweetness, innocence and light.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

“Our data shows the stereotypical cliché gifts of the past are shifting to those that actually make everyday sense.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

Bighorn sheep are suitable to us and similar to mouflons in most respects except a crucial one: they lack the mouflon’s stereotypical behavior whereby some individuals behave submissively toward other individuals whose dominance they acknowledge.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Vocabulary lists containing stereotypical

All American Boys

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This Week in Pop Culture: August 10–16, 2019

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Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy

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