variants
also archetypical
1
as in classic
constituting, serving as, or worthy of being a pattern to be imitated
St. Peter's basilica in Rome is considered by some art historians to be the archetypal structure in the baroque style
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in typical
having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind
the movie's hero is pretty archetypal, lacking in any distinctive qualities that would distinguish him from countless other masked avengers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of archetypal
This archetypal hamburger and shake joint, founded in September 1956, initially had a long counter and about four tables.
—
Usa Today Network, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Shearer and Greaves are considered among the archetypal greatest centre-forwards in the English game, but that accolade now solely belongs to Kane, whose goalscoring achievements in England and Germany are remarkable.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Despite the contrivance, Jewson makes fascinating theater out of this, flipping the archetypal image of the ballerina, and therefore femininity, on its head and rendering it as a kind of weapon, forged by years of putting up with enormous pain, against a world beset by patriarchal violence.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2026
So far, this sounds like an archetypal heroic tale—the protagonist denied his rightful place and forced to undertake impossible tasks to win it back.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Agnifilo previously worked under archetypal celebrity defense lawyer Ben Brafman, whose clients have included accused Mafia bosses and Michael Jackson, and represented Shkreli and Dominique Strauss-Kahn alongside Brafman before starting his own firm.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026
This water sign embodies the archetypal mother; the protective space, the nurturing force, and these qualities are precisely what dominates now.
—Danijela Pilic, Glamour, 3 Jan. 2026
Director Nadia Hallgren had immense access to Obama, following her across a 34-city book tour and turning the introspective writing into a dynamic reflection of the author as the archetypal modern woman.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
The My Struggle author has been back in the business of non-autobiographical novels for a few years now, but there’s something familiar, even archetypal, about the narrator of The School of Night, the fourth volume in Knausgaard’s Morning Star sequence.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2025
Usa Today Network, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Shearer and Greaves are considered among the archetypal greatest centre-forwards in the English game, but that accolade now solely belongs to Kane, whose goalscoring achievements in England and Germany are remarkable.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Despite the contrivance, Jewson makes fascinating theater out of this, flipping the archetypal image of the ballerina, and therefore femininity, on its head and rendering it as a kind of weapon, forged by years of putting up with enormous pain, against a world beset by patriarchal violence.
—Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2026
So far, this sounds like an archetypal heroic tale—the protagonist denied his rightful place and forced to undertake impossible tasks to win it back.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
Agnifilo previously worked under archetypal celebrity defense lawyer Ben Brafman, whose clients have included accused Mafia bosses and Michael Jackson, and represented Shkreli and Dominique Strauss-Kahn alongside Brafman before starting his own firm.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 27 Jan. 2026
This water sign embodies the archetypal mother; the protective space, the nurturing force, and these qualities are precisely what dominates now.
—Danijela Pilic, Glamour, 3 Jan. 2026
Director Nadia Hallgren had immense access to Obama, following her across a 34-city book tour and turning the introspective writing into a dynamic reflection of the author as the archetypal modern woman.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026
The My Struggle author has been back in the business of non-autobiographical novels for a few years now, but there’s something familiar, even archetypal, about the narrator of The School of Night, the fourth volume in Knausgaard’s Morning Star sequence.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypal
Adjective
-
The Grammy-winning musician made her Broadway debut as Zidler in the classic musical on March 24.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The hotel recently completed a thoughtful refresh by design studio FBEYE International, and the result is a property that feels classic and contemporary.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Games that still are too typical of the NCAA women’s tournament where the higher seed seldom loses.—
Mac Engel
March 31,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Food and drink At first glance, Harriet’s Rooftop & Lounge seemed like a typical NYC rooftop—the kind of place where views take priority and food is an afterthought.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Luplow, 36, is one of four winners of the inaugural FECK Awards, a national program created by Chaz Ebert to recognize people who show exemplary forgiveness, empathy, compassion and kindness, or FECK.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Bakri is responsible for many soul-shattering moments in Cherien Dabis’s exemplary multigenerational epic All That’s Left of You (now on digital), and the first takes place after an elementary-school lesson.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The mall resumed operations as normal following the shooting, as police determined there was no threat to the general public.—
Andrew Adeolu,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Waymo vehicles also can take 30 minutes to wait for and twice as long as a normal ride.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For many of us, lamb is a quintessential dish for springtime.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Donna, the on-site restaurant, is the city’s quintessential special occasion spot for everything from birthday parties to date nights.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Thousands are now not showing up for work, hundreds have quit altogether, and the average wait time at airports has reached record levels.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
That’s the view of Robinhood, which counts 250,000 customers paying on average $250 annually to use its Strategies, an AI tool guided by human advisors.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Holocaust may be the paradigmatic genocide.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Will speaking characters into action be a novelty or a mainstay — a paradigmatic way of interacting with screens or just a passing diversion that will turn this deal cringe in short order?—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
In recent years, the United States has produced only a dozen to a few hundred missiles annually under standard procurement cycles, according to Defense Department budget documents, a rate far below what could be expended in even a short, high-intensity conflict.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This travel humidifier uses a standard water bottle as its reservoir, which cuts down on its weight to make packing easier.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetypal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypal. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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