ARCHETYPAL Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

archetypal

adjective

variants also archetypical

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of archetypal Billy Idol, their frontman, was a member of the Bromley Contingent, an influential cluster of Pistols acolytes on the early punk scene, alongside Siouxsie Sioux and the archetypal model Soo Catwoman. —

Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypal

Adjective

This desktop app provides a faster way to access Lens than opening your browser, and Google's marketing materials show the tool proving useful for someone identifying a piece of classic artwork in a PDF.

— James Peckham, PC Magazine, 15 Apr. 2026
Though offerings shift, look for a summer-classic watermelon gose, prickly pear sour, and even a dill sour ale infused with brine and pickles.

— Chris Malloy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Apr. 2026