stereotype

stereotype — noun

1. an unfair and oversimplified belief about a whole group of people that is widely

1.nounB1
Definition

an unfair and oversimplified belief about a whole group of people that is widely held in society — for example, that all teenagers are lazy, or that people from a certain country share the same personality.

Example

The film challenges the old stereotype that all scientists are boring men in white coats.

challenges + the old stereotype + that-clause

Salma hated the stereotype about her hometown — her neighbours were nothing like what people assumed.

stereotype about [somewhere]

Common collocations
  • racial stereotype
  • cultural stereotype
  • negative stereotype
  • gender stereotype
  • fit the stereotype
  • break a stereotype
  • reinforce a stereotype
  • challenge a stereotype
  • perpetuate a stereotype
Synonyms
  • cliché

    focuses on the idea being overused and unoriginal, not necessarily harmful

  • caricature

    an exaggerated, comedic version of a type; more visual and intentionally distorted

  • generalisation

    a broader, less negative term for a statement about a group that may have some truth

Antonyms
  • individuality

    the quality of being a unique person rather than a type

Grammar Patterns

stereotype about/of + group

Usage Note

Often used with verbs that show criticism or change, such as challenge, break, fight, reinforce, or rely on. The adjective form stereotypical describes something that matches a stereotype.

Common Mistakes

The stereotype of all Asians are good at math.
The stereotype that all Asians are good at math is unfair and untrue.
The noun stereotype is followed by a that-clause, not of + plural subject.

stereotype — verb

Word family

  • stereotypical
    adjectiveB1
  • stereotypically
    adverbB2
  • stereotyping
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe simplified or repeated ideas, but they differ in tone and scope. A stereotype is a fixed, oversimplified belief about a group that is often harmful or unfair. A cliché is an overused expression or idea that has lost its freshness — it may be harmless ("time heals all wounds") and does not necessarily target a group. A caricature is a deliberate exaggeration of features for comic or critical effect, most commonly in visual art or satire. A generalisation is the broadest term: it can be neutral or even useful ("most birds can fly") and is not inherently negative. For example: saying all teenagers are lazy is a harmful stereotype; calling a story "once upon a time" is a cliché; drawing a politician with an oversized nose is a caricature; and stating that most cats dislike water is a generalisation.

stereotype ↗clichécaricaturegeneralisation

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • stereotype about
  • stereotype of
  • fit the stereotype
  • break the stereotype
  • reinforce the stereotype
  • challenge the stereotype

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekFrenchEnglish

The word stereotype comes from French stéréotype, itself from the Greek roots stereos (στερεός), meaning 'solid' or 'firm', and typos (τύπος), meaning 'type' or 'impression'. In the 18th century, it was a printing term: a solid metal plate cast from a mould to reproduce the same page many times. The modern sense of a fixed, repeated idea about a group of people emerged in the early 20th century, drawing on the metaphor of the printing plate that stamps the same image every time.