archetype

noun

ˈär-ki-ˌtīp How to pronounce archetype (audio)
Definition of archetypenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 archetype The character would prove eerily prescient, anticipating an archetype that would take shape in the decades to come. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 Is this the gradual appearance of a real person where there was once simply a comedic archetype? — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 The perfect cup of coffee with Kevin Costner After reading prior interviews Costner had done with other outlets, one thing felt surprising given the actor's tendency toward the ruggedly handsome, cowboy archetype. — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Ahead, find examples of each of these trends, and how to apply them to your personal style archetype. — Emily Kelleher, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
  1. original
  2. forerunner
  3. prototype
  4. ancestor
  5. source
  6. precursor
Noun
  • For Netflix, the pact is part of a wider effort to supplement its originals with more licensed programming from outside producers.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
  • From demolition to a bigger mission The church now plans to build a sanctuary twice the size of the original, with room to expand its community outreach.
    — Marvin Hurst, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of original
Noun
  • Koslow’s screen career began in 1976 as the writer of the film Lifeguard, a ’70s-era Baywatch forerunner starring a hunky Sam Elliott and Anne Archer.
    — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Rather than try to replicate his forerunners’ styles of success, Ternus has so far played to his own strengths—which are also those of Apple, a company that first and foremost builds beautiful products that spark productivity, creativity, and joy.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of forerunner
Noun
  • Federal policy now allows businesses to deduct domestic research costs immediately, leaving more capital available for engineers, prototypes, and equipment.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • However, the device remains a laboratory prototype based on an individual molecule held between gold electrodes.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of prototype
Noun
  • The ancestors of today’s trees are some 20,000 times older than the oldest cities.
    — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • That would mean their ancestors had already reached the continent before the split occurred.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancestor
Noun
  • The kingdom, and its neighbors like the UAE and Qatar, have pitched themselves as not just sources of capital, but as a safe home for trillions in financial assets, data centers, and new industries.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Portioned cups of sauces, dressings have some sort of liquid sitting on the lids from an unknown source.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of source
Noun
  • The three have also introduced tax plans that could be precursors to 2028 platforms.
    — Jared Ochacher, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps the clearest precursor to the complicated racial dynamics of deepfake memes is what happened on TikTok at the turn of the decade.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of precursor

Browse Nearby Words

archetypal
archetype
archetypes
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on archetype

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about archetype

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All