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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetype
In astrology, all 12 archetypes have a unique expression, element and modality.
—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
The Nets are also basically devoid of his player archetype, save for the soon-to-arrive and possibly-not-there-for-long Julius Randle.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
Bloomberg‘s May 2026 xAI org chart specifically cited Kuehmann as the archetype of Musk’s strategy of sharing high-value executives across his companies, a model SpaceX has relied on since 2015.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Taskmaster contestants fall into a number of archetypes.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
24 June 2026
The Nets are also basically devoid of his player archetype, save for the soon-to-arrive and possibly-not-there-for-long Julius Randle.
—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
24 June 2026
Bloomberg‘s May 2026 xAI org chart specifically cited Kuehmann as the archetype of Musk’s strategy of sharing high-value executives across his companies, a model SpaceX has relied on since 2015.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 June 2026
Taskmaster contestants fall into a number of archetypes.
—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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The spectacularly antic tale of originals and doubles, locals and outsiders, visually and philosophically lampoons the very concept of identity.
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The 2005 original was given a relatively large $33 million to play with, directed by a future Emmy winner, and graced with cameos from legends Alan Shearer and Zinedine Zidane.
Noun
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The city had a history of assimilating such yearners, most notably Madonna, Swift’s forerunner and her own Middle American transplant success story.
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The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
Noun
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Future projects will also depend on successful prototype testing, regulatory approvals, construction milestones, and definitive customer agreements before any revenue-generating power plants come online.
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Musk has sought for more than a decade to get the public comfortable with SpaceX’s approach to rocket development, which emphasizes testing cheap prototypes in flight and embracing the occasional mishap rather than trying to guarantee perfection.
Noun
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Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.
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One of these is likely the evolutionary ancestor of all that is to come.
Noun
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The source claimed that the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star checked into the facility voluntarily.
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are expected to take over Madison Square Garden for two events celebrating their wedding, ABC News and CNN reported on June 30, citing sources familiar with the plans.
Noun
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Those resolutions are considered a precursor to the Declaration of Independence.
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Feeding peanuts to the fans evolved, but the early days, whether for the precursor to Aramark or the work of Stevens, were all about a few simple items.
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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