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
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.
In Ireland, there’s an archetype of a deep-thinking, silent, intelligent man who doesn’t have the tools to express himself because at that time talking about yourself or your emotions or your difficulties was verboten. Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024 Yours in chaos, Not Actually Cruella *** Dear Not Actually Cruella, Families have a remarkable ability to reduce even the most accomplished among us to archetypes: the hero, the villain, the one who brings weird pies. Remy Blumenfeld, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Nov. 2024 And while her tendency to deviate from what’s considered professional is a major archetype of her personality, there’s much more to Ava that other people in leadership roles can learn from. Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024 Responding to a glossary of Christian European maternal iconography, Catlett replicated the Mother and Child archetype, initially premiered as a limestone carving for her master’s thesis in 1940, later as lithographs and sculptures in terra-cotta, wood, and black marble. Shameekia Shantel Johnson, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for archetype 

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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near archetype

Cite this Entry

“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archetype. Accessed 13 Dec. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on archetype

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!