archetypal

Tweet

adjective

Definition of ARCHETYPAL

1

constituting, serving as, or worthy of being a pattern to be imitated <St. Peter's basilica in Rome is considered by some art historians to be the archetypal structure in the baroque style>

Synonyms archetypal (also archetypical), classic, definitive, exemplary, imitable, paradigmatic, quintessential, textbook

Related Words ideal, nonpareil, special, unique; absolute, flawless, impeccable, perfect; A-OK, A1, bang-up, banner, capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous (or marvellous), nifty, par excellence, prime, primo [slang], sensational, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, wizard [chiefly British], wonderful; exceptional, fancy, high-grade

Near Antonyms bad, low-grade, poor, substandard, unsatisfactory; atrocious, execrable, vile, wretched; deficient, disappointing, failed, inadequate, inferior; average, normal, ordinary, representative, typical; mediocre, second-class, second-rate

2

having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind <the movie's hero is pretty archetypal, lacking in any distinctive qualities that would distinguish him from countless other masked avengers>

Synonyms archetypal (also archetypical), average, characteristic, normal, regular, representative, standard, true

Related Words common, commonplace, conventional, customary, everyday, ordinary, usual, wonted, workaday; classic, textbook, vintage; expected, familiar, habitual, predictable, routine, unexceptional, unremarkable; predominant, preponderant

Near Antonyms uncommon, unconventional, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted; distinctive, especial, exceptional, extraordinary, infrequent, noteworthy, rare, remarkable, singular, special, unexpected, unfamiliar, unique, unpredictable; eccentric, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, peculiar, unknown, unorthodox; curious, erratic, funky, funny, odd, oddball, offbeat, outlandish, quirky, screwy, strange, wacky (also whacky), way-out; bizarre, fantastic (also fantastical), far-out, freak, freakish, kooky (also kookie), out-of-the-way, outrageous, outré, rare, singular, unnatural, weird, wild

Antonyms aberrant, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, deviant, irregular, nonrepresentative, nontypical, untypical

Variants of ARCHETYPAL

archetypal also archetypical