archetype

noun

ˈär-ki-ˌtīp How to pronounce archetype (audio)
Definition of archetypenext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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 In turn, schools like the Forge birthed a new military archetype, whose adherents were often privileged, scrappy, and damaged—just as Holden Caulfield was. — Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026 Faith King and Josiah Fagerstrom both deliver delightfully prickly repartee as their characters gradually manage to surpass archetype. — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026 Vyshnegradsky, however, was the very archetype of a Big Player. — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026 Each character serving Saturday detention at Shermer High in The Breakfast Club is an archetype, a jock or a nerd or a princess. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
  1. original
  2. forerunner
  3. prototype
  4. ancestor
  5. source
  6. precursor
Noun
  • Moore and Minnelli returned for a 1988 sequel, while a 2011 remake starred Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner, Greta Gerwig and Helen Mirren, but neither matched the success of the original, which was named one of AFI’s top 100 comedies.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 15 Aug. 2026
  • When the same walls had fire on both faces, their compressive strength dropped to 14% to 27% of the original.
    — Giorgia Giardina, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of original
Noun
  • 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
  • One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • If a major manufacturer takes what these students have learned and turns it into something that can be built at scale, the impact could reach far beyond this prototype.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Developed by Cleora with 3D-printing contractor True North and technology provider RIC Robotics, the project aims to demonstrate that robotic construction can move beyond prototypes and support entire neighborhoods.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of prototype
Noun
  • My three sons are 13th generation Americans whose ancestors fought as Patriots during the Revolutionary War.
    — David Neil, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Visitors strolled through the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Saturday morning to kick off Obon Weekend, a traditional Japanese festival honoring the spirits of ancestors.
    — Mike Stocker, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • Two Jets front-office sources, on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak publicly, deny that, and Glenn has owned the decisions publicly.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Now, parts and service departments and finance and insurance packages are becoming more important sources of profit for car dealers, as profits from new vehicle sales show signs of softening.
    — Robert Ferris, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of source
Noun
  • In this telling, Ivan appears as a precursor to Stalin and other ruinous Russian despots.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • In the meantime, fans must endure another six weeks of this slog, which might just be a precursor.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

archetypal
archetype
archetypes
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Cite this Entry

“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on archetype

Nglish: Translation of archetype for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about archetype

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