archetype

noun

ar·​che·​type ˈär-ki-ˌtīp How to pronounce archetype (audio)
1
: the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype
… the House of Commons, the archetype of all the representative assemblies which now meet …Thomas Babington Macaulay
also : a perfect example
He is the archetype of a successful businessman.
2
3
psychology : an inherited idea or mode of thought in the psychology of Carl Gustav Jung that is derived from the experience of the race and is present in the unconscious of the individual
archetypal adjective
or less commonly archetypical
an archetypal English village
archetypally adverb
or less commonly archetypically

Did you know?

Archetype comes from the Greek verb archein ("to begin" or "to rule") and the noun typos ("type"). Archetype has specific uses in the fields of philosophy and psychology. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato, for example, believed that all things have ideal forms (aka archetypes) of which real things are merely shadows or copies. And in the psychology of C. G. Jung, archetype refers to an inherited idea or mode of thought that is present in the unconscious of the individual. In everyday prose, however, archetype is most commonly used to mean "a perfect example of something."

Examples of archetype in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Warriors, now and going forward, are going to be at their best with Thompson embracing the Manu Ginobili archetype. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 Alexander Smirnov was, in many ways, the archetype of an informant operating in the shadowlands of the former Soviet Union — a profiteer, fixer and gossip who promoted his ability to make sense of a confusing landscape to American law enforcement agencies. Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 The show includes dreamy mystical pieces that reimagine female archetypes and comment on the brutal treatment of women. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Bazley is the exact archetype of player whom the Sixers should be gambling on with their end-of-the-bench spots. Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy (HarperOne: $23) A modern fable explores life’s universal lessons through four archetypes. … Paperback fiction 1. The California Independent Booksellers Alliance, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Following the presentation Vevers shared that the purpose of the range was to dig into and disrupt the codes and archetypes of luxury. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 14 Feb. 2024 These two archetypes represent about 80% of the game's monsters. Chris Stobing, PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 Standing on a magnificent viewpoint overlooking the Grand Canyon this past week raised a philosophical question for me: Who is the better archetype or model of being human, John Muir or John Galt? Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 28 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'archetype.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of archetype was in 1545

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Dictionary Entries Near archetype

Cite this Entry

“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archetype. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

archetype

noun
ar·​che·​type ˈär-ki-ˌtīp How to pronounce archetype (audio)
: the original pattern or model from which something is copied
archetypal adjective

Medical Definition

archetype

noun
ar·​che·​type ˈär-ki-ˌtīp How to pronounce archetype (audio)
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
archetypal adjective

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