archetype

noun

ar·che·type | \ ˈär-ki-ˌtīp

Definition of archetype

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 : idea sense 4c

3 psychology : 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

Other Words from archetype Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about archetype

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Other Words from archetype

archetypal \ ˌär-ki-ˈtī-pəl

\ or less commonly archetypical \ -ˈti-pi-kəl

\ adjective

an archetypal English village

archetypally \ -pə-lē

\ or less commonly archetypically \ -ˈti-pi-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Did You Know?

Archetype derives via Latin from the Greek adjective archetypos ("archetypal"), formed from the verb "archein" ("to begin" or "to rule") and the noun "typos" ("type"). ("Archein" also gave us the prefix arch-, meaning "principal" or "extreme" and used to form such words as "archenemy," "archduke," and "archconservative.") "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

These archetypes and power imbalances can lend themselves to white-hot fantasies. — Kate Sloan, Glamour, "25 Sex Fantasies Women Have That Are Totally Normal," 6 Apr. 2019 From the reboots of Charmed and The Craft to AMC’s A Discovery of Witches and Netflix’s The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the archetype of the witch is making its way right back into mainstream culture. — Dianca London Potts, SELF, "8 Modern Witches Share Their Daily Beauty Rituals," 11 Apr. 2019 Joseph is an alternative to both of these dad archetypes. — Joelle Monique, Teen Vogue, ""If Beale Street Could Talk" Highlights the Power of Love in a World Designed for Black People to Fail," 9 Jan. 2019 The archetype of the witch, carried through centuries of pop-culture and folklore, is a divisive character. — Gabriela Herstik, Glamour, "I'm a Modern Witch, and I Love Chilling Adventures of Sabrina So Much," 26 Oct. 2018 In a different era, Hunt would serve as a sort of Platonic action-hero ideal, and there wouldn’t be any need to dig past the archetype itself. — Bryan Bishop, The Verge, "In Mission: Impossible - Fallout, being the good guy has serious consequences," 27 July 2018 Mark Cuban is the archetype of the hands-on sports owner, yet claimed to have no knowledge of his organization’s corrosive culture, one that demeaned women and imperiled their safety. — Jon Wertheim, SI.com, "The Striking Contrast Between the Mavs and Panthers In Crisis," 23 Feb. 2018 Well, the writing’s great at least, poking fun at the Bruce Campbell machismo archetype with its one-liners and self-serious plot. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "GOG.com's winter sale kicks off with free copies of LucasArts classic Full Throttle," 13 Dec. 2018 The archetype was forged in the mid-1950s, in concert with the Jewish-American middle-class ascent. — Jamie Lauren Keiles, Vox, "How the JAP became America’s most complex Jewish stereotype.," 5 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'archetype.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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23 May 2019

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The first known use of archetype was in 1545

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More Definitions for archetype

archetype

noun

ar·che·type | \ ˈär-ki-ˌtīp

Medical Definition of archetype

1a : 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