prototypical

IPA/ˌprəʊtəˈtɪpɪkl/
KK[prˌotətˈɪpɪkəl]IPA/ˌprəʊtəˈtɪpɪkl/

prototypical — adjective

  • prototypicalpositive
  • more prototypicalcomparative
  • most prototypicalsuperlative

1. showing the features people most strongly connect with a certain group, style, o

1.形容詞C1
釋義

showing the features people most strongly connect with a certain group, style, or kind of thing

例句

The red barn and white fence look prototypical for that farming region.

prototypical for [place/category]

Hamza gave a prototypical teenager reply: one shrug and no explanation.

a prototypical + category noun

同義詞
  • typical

    more common in everyday speech and less formal than 'prototypical'

  • representative

    formal and precise, often used for a chosen sample rather than the clearest example

  • textbook

    more informal and emphatic, often used for a strikingly clear case

反義詞

文法句型

a prototypical + noun

prototypical of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often appears before a noun or with 'of' to name the group it best represents. Distinguish from sense 2, which links something to an original design rather than to a representative example.

常見錯誤

This error is prototypical because it happens a lot.
This error is common because it happens a lot.
💡'Prototypical' means it clearly represents a type, not simply that it occurs often.

2. linked to an early model that later versions follow, copy, or grow out of

2.形容詞C1
釋義

linked to an early model that later versions follow, copy, or grow out of

例句

Engineers studied the prototypical battery pack before redesigning the final scooter.

prototypical + early design component

Rohan kept the prototypical sketch beside the later logo versions.

contrast: prototypical vs later versions

文法句型

a prototypical + noun

用法筆記

Most common in design, science, and historical writing. It usually modifies an object or version tied to the earliest design stage, not something that is merely very typical.

常見錯誤

The company sold its prototypical phone in every store.
The company tested its prototypical phone before selling the final model.
💡In this sense, 'prototypical' points to an early design stage, not a finished product on general sale.