1
as in forerunners
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in originals
something from which copies are made
Beowulf is considered by some scholars to be the archetype for medieval British heroic tales
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetypes
The jury admired the magical character design, use of animals as complex character archetypes, and sophisticated framing and movement that all create the mysterious adult world the young protagonist navigates.
—
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
To read Young’s novel is to dwell in uncertainties and shadows, in Jungian archetypes and their dissolution.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Content should remain local in voice, but strong archetypes can travel if shaped well from the start.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Every night there will be a different theme embracing different vampire archetypes.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Ruggedness, dependability, and handiness define a lot of outdoor archetypes, from the ski patroller to the river guide to the park ranger.
—Outside Online, 8 Oct. 2025
Its supreme confidence in its own vision, coupled with a gorgeous score from Tangerine Dream, makes Near Dark the most valuable addition to the (unfortunately rather small) group of films that mix horror with Western archetypes.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
This pointed to suits and sartorial pieces with a little twist, expressed in tweaks in texture or proportion that were just enough to cast a new light on familiar wardrobe archetypes.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Asteroids represent archetypes, and Juno specifically rules soul contracts, loyalty, devotion, and commitments, both romantic and otherwise.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
To read Young’s novel is to dwell in uncertainties and shadows, in Jungian archetypes and their dissolution.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Content should remain local in voice, but strong archetypes can travel if shaped well from the start.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Every night there will be a different theme embracing different vampire archetypes.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Ruggedness, dependability, and handiness define a lot of outdoor archetypes, from the ski patroller to the river guide to the park ranger.
—Outside Online, 8 Oct. 2025
Its supreme confidence in its own vision, coupled with a gorgeous score from Tangerine Dream, makes Near Dark the most valuable addition to the (unfortunately rather small) group of films that mix horror with Western archetypes.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
This pointed to suits and sartorial pieces with a little twist, expressed in tweaks in texture or proportion that were just enough to cast a new light on familiar wardrobe archetypes.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Asteroids represent archetypes, and Juno specifically rules soul contracts, loyalty, devotion, and commitments, both romantic and otherwise.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
Noun
-
Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Tubi has made working with creators a strategic priority, launching a Tubi for creators program earlier this year, licensing libraries of their content, and casting them in originals.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Once the copies are made, keep them on hand and store the originals in a safe and secure place, Velasquez said.—
Alyssa N. Salcedo,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
More rails flew back — their distant ancestors, still strong in Madagascar, made the same flight again.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In the early 2020s, ancestors of the founder worked to bring the brand back to life, refocusing on the original cast-iron products that cooks loved.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s even a design echo between the nomadic Mongolian ger — the traditional felt tent sometimes referred to as yurts — and the Martian dome prototypes being developed by the MARS-V engineering team.—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
By comparison, the latest prototypes from Helix, Donut Labs, H3X, and Equipmake offer power densities between 13 and 25kW/kg, still less than half of YASA’s new record.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Trump said that Xi committed to cracking down on the production of fentanyl precursors as well in exchange for lowering tariffs on China.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Alongside the minerals deal, Xi reportedly agreed to purchase additional American soybeans and to strengthen enforcement against the export of chemical precursors used to produce fentanyl—long a major sticking point in bilateral talks.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
During last month’s IMF-World Bank meetings in Washington, Barclays organized a private meeting to talk investment opportunities with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, two sources familiar with the meeting told Semafor.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The Miami Dolphins traded pass rusher Jaelan Phillips to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2026 third-round pick, according to league sources.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This must rank as one of the earliest examples of the travails of seeking to do business with China.—
Kerry Brown,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
-
This is one of the rare examples of a linear hit that also has a large proportion of viewing in streaming.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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