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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetype
There’s a familiar archetype for this kind of purchase.
—
Lindsey Harn,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
What drew her into a specific archetype or motif?
—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Her take on the ‘Latina baddie’ archetype may be the show’s most memorable performance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
His concept of the collective unconscious, a universal element of the human mind connecting past and present, was fundamental to her understanding of images and the interconnected nature of ancient archetypes.
—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Lindsey Harn,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
What drew her into a specific archetype or motif?
—
Rachel Elspeth Gross,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Her take on the ‘Latina baddie’ archetype may be the show’s most memorable performance.
—
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
His concept of the collective unconscious, a universal element of the human mind connecting past and present, was fundamental to her understanding of images and the interconnected nature of ancient archetypes.
—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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This story’s author, StyleCaster contributing writer Jessie Quinn, loves a good deal and scours the internet to find the best fashion dupes, such as Bogg bag lookalikes and a Baggu crescent bag that is so similar to the original.
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But whereas the original was designed to consolidate an American victory, this one is designed to manage the consequences of a defeat that pushes the United States closer to disengaging from the Middle East.
Noun
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The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
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In 2007, the Oatley family opened Qualia, their 30-acre flagship property and the forerunner of Australia’s luxury lodges.
Noun
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Future projects will also depend on successful prototype testing, regulatory approvals, construction milestones, and definitive customer agreements before any revenue-generating power plants come online.
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Musk has sought for more than a decade to get the public comfortable with SpaceX’s approach to rocket development, which emphasizes testing cheap prototypes in flight and embracing the occasional mishap rather than trying to guarantee perfection.
Noun
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But just because our microbiome differs from our ancestors' doesn't mean reverting to an earlier model is better.
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The range of Pennsylvania Dutch vocabulary reflects the immediate, physical nature of my ancestors’ lives and work.
Noun
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Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency cited a military source as saying today that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy has not issued permission for any vessels to transit until further notice.
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The agent can tell the planner where the source data came from, which parameters the calculation was based on, the decision-tree logic, and, for the mathematically minded, even the formula.
Noun
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Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.
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Scouts and Raiders is billed as telling the true origin story of the WWII commando unit of the same name, a precursor to the Navy SEALs, including its heavy recruitment of collegiate and professional football players.
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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