stereotyping
Meaning
The act of believing unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same
The action of forming a fixed and often wrong idea about a person or thing and applying that idea to everyone in that group
Structure
Usage
The film challenges common stereotyping of historical figures.
We must avoid stereotyping individuals based on their background.
Her research focuses on the psychological effects of racial stereotyping.
Etymology
The word originates from the French stéréotype, a technical printing term coined in the late 18th century. It combined the Greek stereos ("solid") and typos ("impression") to describe a method of printing using a solid plate of fixed type, which allowed for mass reproduction without change. This concept of a rigid, unchangeable duplicate was metaphorically extended to the social and psychological realm in the 20th century. The modern abstract meaning of "stereotyping" thus logically evolved from the literal idea of creating a "solid impression" or a fixed mold, applied to the inflexible categorization of people.
Analysis
- stereo: From Greek stereos, meaning "solid, firm, three-dimensional." In this compound, it functions to convey the sense of rigid, fixed, or solid. - type: From Greek typos, meaning "blow, impression, model, figure." In this compound, it functions to convey the sense of a model, pattern, or stamp. - ing: A native English suffix (from Old English -ung, -ing) forming verbal nouns, indicating the action or process.