stereotype
n. countablen. a fixed and often unfair idea that people have about what a specific group of people is like. It usually ignores the fact that everyone in that group is different.
n. a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Often carries a negative connotation when applied to social groups, implying a lack of individual nuance.
The movie relies on an old stereotype about grumpy neighbors.
The advertisement was criticized for using a lazy stereotype of a stay-at-home father.
Sociologists argue that even seemingly positive stereotypes can be harmful because they place restrictive expectations on individuals based solely on their perceived group identity.
Borrowed from French stéréotype (adjective), equivalent to stereo- + type. Printing sense is from 1817; the “conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image” sense is recorded from 1922 in Walter Lippmann’s book Public Opinion.
Commonly used with the verbs 'challenge', 'break', or 'reinforce'.