ARCHETYPES Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

archetypes

noun

plural of archetype

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

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

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 archetypes But perhaps the image of Minaj onstage will inspire the MAGA set to adopt Demna’s revamp of the house—some of the caricatural archetypes in his most recent collection certainly leaned conservative. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026 Beyond prep, Jules theorized as to how Lauren can so effectively blur and co-mingle so many different archetypes. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026 He is surrounded by a parade of savvier comic archetypes — from his urbane, happily rational brother, Beralde (Dylan Baker), to his smart-aleck maid, Toinette (Rachel Bloom, giving eternal side-eye) — who have to either evade or manipulate him. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 Real Social pulls inspiration from archetypes and stereotypes. — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026 Her settings tend to be a little vague, her protagonists more archetypes than individuals. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Matthew’s three kids are just TV archetypes, rarely resembling real people at all. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026 During the war, Pavese immersed himself in Greek tragedy, as well as the anthropological writings of Frazer and Lévy-Bruhl, Freud on childhood and the narrative technique of dreams, and Jung on the archetypes of the collective unconscious. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 In the same way that somebody brings something to a new Harry Potter series or a James Bond or something of that nature that has a kind of cyclical storytelling element with different repeating archetypes. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes

Noun

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
Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forerunners

Noun

To Prime and Beyond From 2002’s Resident Evil remake to the more recent successes with Resident Evil 2 & 4, Capcom has managed to recreate the feeling and survival horror tropes of the originals while modernizing the gameplay.

— Daryl Baxter, Space.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Announced at Series Mania this year, Sîrat exec producer Corral will work HBO Max originals exec Sarah Aubrey and Casey Bloys, both now part of senior content team at the merged Skydance business, to create scripted TV an film productions.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of originals

Noun

Athorp’s easygoing, unassuming demeanor belies his decades-long experience and expertise, which are rooted in the knowledge passed down by his Indigenous ancestors.

— Kate Nelson, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition.

— Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestors

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
De Jong began building prototypes and models in Los Angeles with her construction coordinator Jonas Kirk.

— Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of prototypes

Noun

Should tens of thousands of American lives have been saved as a result of decisions made about fentanyl precursors in China, the implications are massive.

— J. Travis Donahoe, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026
Just as concerning, the pair may run into the same eligibility issues at the precursors as Seyfried.

— Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursors

Noun

Many of the office’s attorneys, particularly in its misdemeanor corps, work with basement-level spirits, according to one of the sources.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
Last month, citing anonymous sources, Reuters reported that Solidigm was holding pitch meetings with investment banks for an IPO that could value the company at up to $150 billion.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sources

Noun

But the objects we are left with, to take both Kaplan and Naumann as examples, often fall short of what either a painting or sculpture can be—and, without the theater play itself, what of the pertinent conversation?

— Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
The proceeds of each of the 10 examples of the $497,000 Akrivia x Louis Vuitton LVRR-01 went toward supporting winners of the prize, who received 150,000 euros (approximately $173,150) plus a year-long mentorship from La Fabrique du Temps.

— Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of examples

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archetype

archetypes

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“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of archetypes

noun

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