1
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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2
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetype
This, in turn, reflects our experiences here on planet Earth, giving spiritual meaning to the cycles of time, not just through planetary movements but through the cosmos' mythological archetypes.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
One relies on physics, mathematics, and observation; the other on archetypes, intuition, and symbolism.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 7 Sep. 2025
With Lee’s custom Dior look, Anderson marries sinuous lines and sensuality with a mysterious aura quintessential to the modern femme fatale archetype.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2025
And this character archetype — a man with a gruff exterior but a good heart — would become a through-line for his career.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
One relies on physics, mathematics, and observation; the other on archetypes, intuition, and symbolism.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 7 Sep. 2025
With Lee’s custom Dior look, Anderson marries sinuous lines and sensuality with a mysterious aura quintessential to the modern femme fatale archetype.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2025
And this character archetype — a man with a gruff exterior but a good heart — would become a through-line for his career.
—Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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Schuyler, who a decade ago sold her company, Epitome Pictures, to DHX Media, a forerunner of Wild Brain Entertainment, was not available for comment on Wednesday.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Rob Reiner — who directed, starred and co-wrote the original with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer — has once again directed the sequel, faithfully playing his role as filmmaker Marty DiBergi, complete with military baseball cap and a director’s viewfinder around his neck.—
Mark Kennedy,
Boston Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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The performance began with an arrangement fairly faithful to Isbell’s original, with Boone accompanied by just an acoustic guitar.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The norm is for ancient dugouts found in southern Florida to be linked to ancestors of the Calusa, the Seminole or the Miccosukee, according to the Florida Division of Historical Resources.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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This provides excellent evidence that all life on Earth shares one common ancestor.—
Thomas Moynihan,
Big Think,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This evolved into a prototype chiefly engineered by Burrell Smith, selecting for its CPU the 8-bit Motorola 6809 as an upgrade from the Apple II's MOS 6502 but still keeping costs low.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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Working nights in his garage, Trombone built the prototype using personal funds.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And the precursors for that reality may already be in motion, Metzger noted.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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After a follow-up period of 7½ years, the team concluded that higher iron levels in two key parts of the brain were linked to a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is typically a precursor to the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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That's part of the 'framework' agreement for TikTok, which will also include new and existing investors in its Chinese parent company ByteDance, sources told CNBC's David Faber.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
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As demand for electricity surged to power more electric devices in homes and Big Tech's boom in data centers, renewable energy has been the go-to source for the cheapest, fastest way to generate more juice.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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