ARCHETYPE Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

archetype

noun

ˈär-ki-ˌtīp

Definition of archetype

as in original

something from which copies are made Beowulf is considered by some scholars to be the archetype for medieval British heroic tales

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in forerunner

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the abacus is sometimes cited as the archetype of the modern digital calculator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of archetype During the war, Pavese immersed himself in Greek tragedy, as well as the anthropological writings of Frazer and Lévy-Bruhl, Freud on childhood and the narrative technique of dreams, and Jung on the archetypes of the collective unconscious. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 But this sleekly miserable noir about the aftermath of a feckless man’s confrontation with his wife’s younger lover transports the stuff of archetype into Putin’s Russia. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026 In the same way that somebody brings something to a new Harry Potter series or a James Bond or something of that nature that has a kind of cyclical storytelling element with different repeating archetypes. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 The plots aren’t particularly developed or surprising, and the characters are written more as archetypes than as real people. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for archetype

Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype

Noun

Maybe the biggest name to ever appear on the original was a pre-fame Halle Berry.

— Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
The Korean original, fronted by Ryu Deok-hwan, was a major success at home and got viewers talking.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of original

Noun

Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forerunner

Noun

The maiden flight of the full-scale eFlyer 2 prototype launched from Centennial Airport near Denver, with chief test pilot Elliot Seguin at the controls.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2026
The prototype spacecraft carries four TPUs and will operate in Earth orbit for a year, if all goes to plan, according to The New York Times.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of prototype

Noun

By remaining involved in the businesses their ancestors began, these families have preserved and expanded their wealth across multiple generations while also shaping the American business landscape.

— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026
John Spencer, at the time heir to the Spencer earldom and styled as Viscount Althorp, was two years older than Queen Elizabeth II and descended from a long line of ancestors who served the British crown.

— Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of ancestor

Noun

SpaceX has advantage its rivals can’t easily match Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026
Real people such as East German Ambassador Kurt Krüger and VERIFIED GDR deeds in Afghanistan are cited in the source notes.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of source

Noun

The process, which typically is a precursor to involuntary staff reductions, just concluded with the cooling-off period for those who had opted in ending this past weekend, sources said.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
The coal and steel organization was the first among European institutions that were precursors to what eventually became the European Union.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

archetypal

archetype

archetypes

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Style

“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of archetype

noun

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