Meanings
- idiomaticConforming to the stereotypical image of a particular type of person or group.
As cult leaders go, Rajneesh was straight out of central casting. His preferred garb was a satin-trimmed velvet robe and shoes, usually adorned with expensive jewelry.
2013, Linda Clark, "The Bhagwan's 93 Rolls-Royces", in Keith Martin, Strange but True Tales of Car Collecting: Drowned Bugattis, Buried Belvederes, Felonious Ferraris and other Wild Stories of Automotive Misadventure, Motorbooks (2013), unnumbered page2 more examples
"Do I or do I not have the quintessential in-laws? I swear they're right out of central casting. A blowhard brother-in-law, bratty kids, and a sourpuss mother-in-law wide as a billboard. […]
2006, Richard Matturro, Luna, Livingtson Press, →ISBN, page 92Frank Grandin was straight out of central casting, the pompous, self-important, narrow-minded, big businessman, from his full head of suspiciously jet-black hair right down to the oversized gold watch on his wrist.
2008, Holly Chamberlain, Tuscan Holiday, Kensington Books, →ISBNSynonyms: from central casting
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseConforming to the stereotypical image of a particular type of person or group.
Origin
From Central Casting, an American company that specializes in casting extras, body doubles, and stand-ins.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
out of central casting. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20central%20casting
“out of central casting.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20central%20casting. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “out of central casting,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20central%20casting.
Source: out of central casting on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.