archetype

ar·che·type

noun \ˈär-ki-ˌtīp\

Definition of ARCHETYPE

1

: the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype; also : a perfect example

2

: idea 1a

3

: an inherited idea or mode of thought in the psychology of C. G. Jung that is derived from the experience of the race and is present in the unconscious of the individual

— ar·che·typ·al \ˌär-ki-ˈtī-pəl\ also ar·che·typ·i·cal \-ˈti-pi-kəl\ adjective

— ar·che·typ·al·ly \-pə-lē\ also ar·che·typ·i·cal·ly \-ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of ARCHETYPE

1. He is the archetype of a successful businessman.
2. an archetype of the modern family

Origin of ARCHETYPE

Latin archetypum, from Greek archetypon, from neuter of archetypos archetypal, from archein + typos type

First Known Use: 1545

Related to ARCHETYPE

Synonyms

antecedent, ancestor, daddy, foregoer, forerunner, granddaddy (also grandaddy), precursor, predecessor, prototype

Antonyms

descendant (also descendent)

Related Words

model, original; originator, sire; father, mother

Near Antonyms

by-product, derivative, offshoot, outgrowth, spin-off; daughter, son

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

Rhymes with ARCHETYPE

allotype, ambrotype, calotype, collotype, corncob pipe, Dutchman's-pipe, ecotype, ferrotype, genotype, guttersnipe, haplotype, holotype, Linotype, liripipe, logotype, monotype, neotype, overripe, prototype, serotype, stenotype, Teletype, tuning pipe

ar·che·type

noun \ˈär-ki-ˌtīp\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of ARCHETYPE

1

a : a primitive generalized plan of structure deduced from the characters of a natural group of plants or animals and assumed to be the characteristic of the ancestor from which they are all descended b : the original ancestor of a group of plants or animals

2

: an inherited idea or mode of thought in the psychology of C. G. Jung that is derived from the experience of the race and is present in the unconscious of the individual

—ar·che·typ·al \ˌär-ki-ˈtī-pəl\ (audio pronunciation) adjective

archetype

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Primordial image, character, or pattern of circumstances that recurs throughout literature and thought consistently enough to be considered universal. Literary critics adopted the term from Carl Gustav Jung's theory of the collective unconscious. Because archetypes originate in pre-logical thought, they are held to evoke startlingly similar feelings in reader and author. Examples of archetypal symbols include the snake, whale, eagle, and vulture. An archetypal theme is the passage from innocence to experience; archetypal characters include the blood brother, rebel, wise grandparent, and prostitute with a heart of gold.