1
as in original
something from which copies are made
Beowulf is considered by some scholars to be the archetype for medieval British heroic tales
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the abacus is sometimes cited as the archetype of the modern digital calculator
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of archetype
That relationship allows Offerman to deliver one of his most surprising, tender performances to date — one that plays off of the archetype he’s spent years effortlessly playing to, while revealing all of that gloriously messy human stuff that’s long been lurking underneath.
—
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Through gestures big and small, Bruce Friedrich conforms to the archetype of a lifelong anti-meat crusader.
—Andrew Zaleski, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2026
But maybe the archetype of a mother is really present within this film, despite the absence of meeting our actual mothers.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
These archetypes have existed since the beginning of time.
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 3 Apr. 2026
Through gestures big and small, Bruce Friedrich conforms to the archetype of a lifelong anti-meat crusader.
—Andrew Zaleski, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2026
But maybe the archetype of a mother is really present within this film, despite the absence of meeting our actual mothers.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
These archetypes have existed since the beginning of time.
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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The setting is modern London, the language original.—
Katie Walsh,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Announced at a special screening of the original in Los Angeles at Alamo Drafthouse on Thursday, the upcoming film has been talked about since the first got made.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Williams had managed traditional Tex-Mex restaurants that were the forerunner of today’s Mercado Juarez Cafes.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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The camp is a program of the Woodcraft Rangers, founded by author and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose pioneering Woodcraft Rangers program was a forerunner to groups such as the Boy Scouts.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The site, Chick-fil-A Runway 35 South, will be Colorado’s first drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A prototype designed for speed and efficiency.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
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Arvell Reese is the prototype and a dream, but adding him is just that for the Bengals.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Four Freedoms awards are presented in the New Church in Middelburg, in the province of Zeeland, where Roosevelt's ancestors hail from.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Researchers studying a 250-million-year-old fossil have found the first ever proof that mammal ancestors laid eggs, with the discovery also shedding light on a remarkable survival story.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The draft footprint itself, including both sides of the Allegheny River, can only hold a little more than a football stadium, the source said, roughly 80,00 to 90,000 people.—
Ricky Sayer,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Ahead of its release, Humberstone sat down with PEOPLE to discuss her source of inspiration.—
Daniela Avila,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Eventually, a banner signifying the first NCAA women’s basketball title will be raised to the ceiling in Pauley Pavilion, where currently the only women’s basketball title banner is from the school’s 1978 AIAW championship, the precursor to the NCAA.—
Beth Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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Iran also spied on Iraqi positions with rudimentary precursors to drones, an early use of one of the regime’s most effective weapons in its attempt to blockade the strait.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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