PROTOTYPE Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

prototype

noun

ˈprō-tə-ˌtīp

Definition of prototype

as in example

one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like a literary character who is regarded as the prototype of the fanatical and intolerant pursuer of justice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in forerunner

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the Greek epic that is the prototype of the hero myth

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in original

something from which copies are made the manufacturer exhaustively tested the prototype of the vehicle before approving production

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of prototype More than 100,000 Flock cameras have been installed around the country since 2017, when the company first started rolling out prototypes. — Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026 One of them was this Torcal prototype, which was being used to shuttle journalists (your author included) around to give them a taste of the company’s first electric SUV. — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026 Lampkin’s football story is about suspending disbelief and acknowledging exceptions to prototypes. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The goal, when the company sends a prototype mission on a lunar lander later this decade, is to test everything on Earth in conditions similar to those on the Moon. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prototype

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototype

Noun

There are already examples in other sports of athletes moving between professional and college systems without producing the same alarm.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
CrowdStrike offered another example of AI becoming a tailwind rather than a threat.

— Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of example

Noun

Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.

— Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

Joey King plays Sally’s other daughter, Kylie, while Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as the spell-casting sisters from the 1998 original.

— Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 28 Aug. 2026
Manifest creator Jeff Rake is teaming with Margaret Easley and Laura Putney, writers and co-executive producers on the original, for Arrivals.

— Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of original

Noun

Everyone appreciated having access to writing samples, but two participants wanted additional context around each example.

— Jehan Lalkaka, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
However, the real science will begin when future Artemis astronauts bring back new lunar samples from deeper beneath the surface over the coming years.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of sample

Noun

Losing to the Clippers was the precursor to the Jazz blowing up their team a year later; Utah only came out of hibernation this past summer.

— John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
But fantasy sports, an almost quaint precursor to the instantaneous forms of gambling proliferating now, remains hugely prevalent.

— Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of precursor

Noun

Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
While Qingming focuses primarily on one’s own ancestors, the Hungry Ghost Festival extends offerings to wandering spirits and the unclaimed dead.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

There have been scattered instances of athletes returning to their previous school for the extra season, including two LSU women’s soccer players who are part of the case.

— Seth Emerson, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Even instances of heckling at games – over performance on the court – felt good-natured, rather than insulting.

— Odette Yousef, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of instance

Browse Nearby Words

protocols

prototype

prototypes

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Style

“Prototype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prototype. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of prototype

noun

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