stereotypier

Stéréotypier is a French verb meaning to apply or propagate a stereotype about a person or group, or to generalize from a category to individuals in a way that reduces complexity. It refers to attributing fixed, oversimplified traits to people based on group membership such as ethnicity, gender, nationality, age, or profession. The act is typically discussed in critical or analytical contexts and carries a negative or cautionary tone.

Etymology: The verb derives from the noun stéréotype, formed with the suffix -ier. The noun itself comes from Greek stereos "solid" and typos "impression," via the broader history of the term in printing and social science.

Usage: In contemporary French, stéréotypier signals a judgment or framing that ignores variation and context. It is used to describe how discourse, media, or everyday reasoning reduces individuals to supposed group traits. In careful writing, scholars distinguish between noting general tendencies in data and stéréotypier people, which is to be avoided.