prototype
Americannoun
-
the original or model on which something is based or formed.
- Synonyms:
- pattern
-
someone or something that serves to illustrate the typical qualities of a class; model; exemplar.
She is the prototype of a student activist.
-
something analogous to another thing of a later period.
a Renaissance prototype of our modern public housing.
-
Biology. an archetype; a primitive form regarded as the basis of a group.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
one of the first units manufactured of a product, which is tested so that the design can be changed if necessary before the product is manufactured commercially
-
a person or thing that serves as an example of a type
-
biology the ancestral or primitive form of a species or other group; an archetype
Other Word Forms
- prototypal adjective
- prototypic adjective
- prototypical adjective
Etymology
Origin of prototype
First recorded in 1595–1605; from New Latin prōtotypon, from Greek prōtótypon, noun use of neuter of prōtótypos “original”; proto-, type
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 prototype itself is a small layered organic device.
From Science Daily • Apr. 4, 2026
While the first prototype was relatively basic, its future models also pioneered wearable health tech with features like ECG monitoring and fall detection, making it a key driver of health and fitness technology.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Within each FDE pod, engineers occupied different roles: McCardel served as an “Echo,” the strategist responsible for translating the customer’s needs into technical requirements, while “Delta” engineers rapidly developed prototype software solutions.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
The company recently petitioned the FCC for permission to launch a prototype satellite made with a mirror 60 feet wide that could launch as soon as this summer.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Not the least of them was a prototype of Polaris, the submarine-based warhead for the navy, Livermore’s important new government patron.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
