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
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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
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Recent Examples of archetypes
Kumail Nanjiani weaponizes workplace desperation into vibrant tension as rival Toyota salesman Peyton, while Kate Berlant and Colin Jost elevate the surrounding community of neighborly archetypes through charisma alone.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
And what new archetypes will emerge when the enterprise itself becomes fully cognitive?
—Motaz Agamawi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Ishaq has made a film peopled with women and boys who go beyond simple archetypes, setting joyful female solidarity against omnipresent conflict in a way designed to communicate with a broad demographic.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 May 2026
Much like every fan-favorite series fueled by addictive storylines and complex character archetypes, Off Campus has fans unapologetically choosing their (hockey) player.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026
Some experts suspect that there may be several volcano archetypes — ones that prefer to throw out lava, for instance, or the especially explosive kind.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
CEOs can use these as reference archetypes to map their organization against, identify the one that most closely matches its profile, and draw from the lessons that follow.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Each of these archetypes serves a distinct narrative purpose.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
The on-set archetypes of a Chinese film crew paralleled those of Hollywood.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
And what new archetypes will emerge when the enterprise itself becomes fully cognitive?
—Motaz Agamawi, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Ishaq has made a film peopled with women and boys who go beyond simple archetypes, setting joyful female solidarity against omnipresent conflict in a way designed to communicate with a broad demographic.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 May 2026
Much like every fan-favorite series fueled by addictive storylines and complex character archetypes, Off Campus has fans unapologetically choosing their (hockey) player.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 May 2026
Some experts suspect that there may be several volcano archetypes — ones that prefer to throw out lava, for instance, or the especially explosive kind.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 May 2026
CEOs can use these as reference archetypes to map their organization against, identify the one that most closely matches its profile, and draw from the lessons that follow.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 2 May 2026
Each of these archetypes serves a distinct narrative purpose.
—Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
The on-set archetypes of a Chinese film crew paralleled those of Hollywood.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
Noun
-
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The decision to launch Allen’s show in Colbert’s time slot on a Friday was surprising, because none of the current crop of late-night programs airs originals regularly on Fridays, meaning the audience does not regularly tune to them in typical numbers.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 May 2026
-
Her exact pair is sold out nearly everywhere, but luckily, Amazon carries a similar style that channels the same sleek feel as the originals.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
In her book Fresh Banana Leaves, Indigenous scientist and scholar Jessica Hernandez meditates on the meaning of the banana plant within the ecologies of her ancestors across what is now Mexico and El Salvador.—
Sophia Rey,
JSTOR Daily,
28 May 2026
-
Crocodilian ancestors have persisted through mass extinctions, dramatic climate shifts and ecological upheavals that have eradicated countless other lineages.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Established in 2019, SDA started launching prototypes for a constellation of missile-tracking and data-relay satellites in 2023.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 May 2026
-
That focus made sense when AI lived mostly in labs, prototypes and slide decks.—
Usman Shuja,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
These foods don’t have sky-high amounts of melatonin, and some contain more precursors to melatonin than the hormone itself, Tahir says.—
Sarah Klein,
Time,
28 May 2026
-
People across the country are seeking millions through federal tort claims, precursors to possible lawsuits.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The coalition is urging the state to find new sources of funding for the work.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Authorities currently believe the woman shot the man and children before shooting herself, The LA Times reports, citing law enforcement sources.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
There were other examples of Frank striking the wrong chord with his messaging and his replacement Tudor committed similar mistakes.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
The school official shared examples of other concerning behavior, according to the declaration.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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