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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetypal
But Pynchon is also funny, and the disorientation of his novels gives ways to discovery, and un-tangling, and the characters have goofy names that allude to their archetypal nature.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
This sentiment identifies her as the show’s audience surrogate—the archetypal true crime fangirl.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
In isolation, the scenario is an archetypal neurosis long familiar to Asian American men, often cast near the bottom of the dating ladder in the United States.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
The photographer’s favorite Chinatown is, nonetheless, the archetypal one — San Francisco’s, which although largely rebuilt following the 1906 earthquake was founded during the California Gold Rush in the late 1840s.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Villa do not have an archetypal right-winger following Bailey’s departure.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Gaza also has a Biblical presence, associated with the Philistines, the archetypal enemy of the Israelites.
—Marc Champion, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
But given that finally writing that book is the archetypal one-day retirement dream for a lot of people, McGilchrist’s advice is especially pertinent.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 14 Aug. 2025
Today’s clients aren’t just heiresses and socialites—such as the archetypal ladies who lunched Nan Kempner and Lynn Wyatt—they’re young tech founders, wealthy aesthetes, and archivists.
—Chloe Russell Kent, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
This sentiment identifies her as the show’s audience surrogate—the archetypal true crime fangirl.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
In isolation, the scenario is an archetypal neurosis long familiar to Asian American men, often cast near the bottom of the dating ladder in the United States.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2025
The photographer’s favorite Chinatown is, nonetheless, the archetypal one — San Francisco’s, which although largely rebuilt following the 1906 earthquake was founded during the California Gold Rush in the late 1840s.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Villa do not have an archetypal right-winger following Bailey’s departure.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Gaza also has a Biblical presence, associated with the Philistines, the archetypal enemy of the Israelites.
—Marc Champion, Twin Cities, 14 Aug. 2025
But given that finally writing that book is the archetypal one-day retirement dream for a lot of people, McGilchrist’s advice is especially pertinent.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 14 Aug. 2025
Today’s clients aren’t just heiresses and socialites—such as the archetypal ladies who lunched Nan Kempner and Lynn Wyatt—they’re young tech founders, wealthy aesthetes, and archivists.
—Chloe Russell Kent, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypal
Adjective
-
There’s even been a couple of classic cup finals to enjoy, while the Arch, at 436 feet almost three times as tall as the old towers, has become a genuine landmark on the London skyline.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Both of these have the classic looks of black and shiny, rust-resistant zinc.—
Clint Davis,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Stephen Glennon, vice president, national accounts at OEC Group, noted that there wasn’t the typical peak season this year.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
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The buck has 14 points and rough scores as a non-typical at 184 inches.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Plaid Dress What’s the quintessential print that always makes a return this time of year?—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
8 Oct. 2025
-
The setting makes sense given that Safdie is a quintessential Big Apple filmmaker, Chalamet is a native son and the film was shot in the five boroughs.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Residents here have above average educational backgrounds and the higher incomes that accompany them.—
John Wisely,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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While the average cruise length is around seven days, short sailings can pack an entire vacation’s worth of fun into a mid-week getaway or long weekend.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The 1994 slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda became the paradigmatic example, prosecuted at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and recognized by the UN Security Council.—
Faisal Kutty,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
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Though beloved by many straight men for the wrong reasons, the central character in American Psycho — a movie directed by a woman, written by a woman, and based on a novel written by a gay man — has always been paradigmatic of repressed same-sex desire.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
So folding in those salaries along with pre-arb salaries and all the other standard stuff, like player benefits and minor-league salaries, should add another $50 million.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
These devices emit bursts of electromagnetic energy across multiple bands, effectively blinding or hijacking most standard FPV drones that depend on Wi-Fi or radio.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Hanke hastens to add that the administration hasn’t made any definitive decision on whether to back the strategy.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
8 Oct. 2025
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No definitive timeline exists for ending the current shutdown.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Inflammation is a normal response to strength training, when muscle fibers develop small tears.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
7 Oct. 2025
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Turmeric has not been proven to lower blood sugar in individuals with normal baseline levels.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Archetypal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypal. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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