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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in original

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

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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 But notably, the company’s prototype satellite likely won’t do much to prove the technology needed to solve the cooling quandary. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 This case study will look at the development and practical application of the system as an example of R&D moving from prototype to production technology. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026 More colorways have either released or been shown through prototypes in official channels in the years since, but one had managed to escape documentation until just this weekend. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 During a test flight in low Earth orbit next year — Artemis III — NASA plans to launch four astronauts in an Orion capsule who will attempt to rendezvous and dock with prototype landers launched separately by SpaceX and Blue Origin. — William Harwood, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prototype

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototype

Noun

Tyrome Laundersville – who missed his parents in Iowa – is another example of someone who got key help from an adult outside the foster care system.

— Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
This edition of the AJC On Campus Roundup looks at one recent example from the University of Georgia, where a study found that people who use social media for investment advice should proceed with caution.

— Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of example

Noun

Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of forerunner

Noun

Aside from the samples noted above, most watches can be expected to lose value over time.

— Joe D'Allegro, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
As commercial orbital platforms emerge, Outpost is positioning sample and product return as a core service for companies that need both access to space and analysis on Earth.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of sample

Noun

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days (also known as October Prime Day) is here, serving as a precursor to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

— Cameron Faulkner, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026
Ng, who is Jo Henderson’s oncologist, noted that her previous research found that women who ate more ultraprocessed foods had a higher risk of colon polyps that can be precursors to cancer.

— Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursor

Noun

The discovery led to a complete redesign of the project, shifting the hotel inland to preserve the sacred site and honor the ancestors who remain there.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
The small, troubled Trask family represents isolation, generational trauma and dysfunctional cycles in contrast to the large, loving and morally grounded Hamilton family, who are modeled after Steinbeck’s own maternal ancestors.

— Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026
The literary and free speech advocacy group PEN America documented 2,532 instances of book bans in public schools in 2021–22.

— Susan Farrell, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of prototype

noun

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