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
But there's something a bit anticlimactic about ending it in that basement, as if the characters never had lives outside the archetypes the show made for them, cribbed from a role-playing game.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
This genre fluidity allows the spiritual to heighten the narrative, dealing with archetypes like the supernaturally gifted musician.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
In these seasons, the archetypes provide a narrative lens not only for audiences but for the players to see themselves in the game—what’s the social cost of betraying their family?
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Creator Mike Makowsky shapes the source material, Candice Millard’s nonfiction book Destiny of the Republic, into a collection of quintessentially American archetypes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
While the technical execution and immersive visuals of the Upside Down have never been more impressive, and the pop culture references as fun as ever, Herman argued that the show continues to rely on familiar archetypes and recycled plot structures rather than offering deeper character development.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
After all, Perfidia explodes other archetypes, too—for instance, abdicating her roles as a mother and romantic partner to continue her work.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Under Mikel Arteta, they have been held up as the archetypes of this anti-style; the best set-piece team in the league, with its stingiest defence.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The research is zeroing in on three fabric archetypes—cotton knit, cotton woven and polyester knit—to get some idea of what variables influence their shedding and to what extent, none of which has been intuitive.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Nov. 2025
Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
This genre fluidity allows the spiritual to heighten the narrative, dealing with archetypes like the supernaturally gifted musician.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025
In these seasons, the archetypes provide a narrative lens not only for audiences but for the players to see themselves in the game—what’s the social cost of betraying their family?
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Creator Mike Makowsky shapes the source material, Candice Millard’s nonfiction book Destiny of the Republic, into a collection of quintessentially American archetypes.
—Judy Berman, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
While the technical execution and immersive visuals of the Upside Down have never been more impressive, and the pop culture references as fun as ever, Herman argued that the show continues to rely on familiar archetypes and recycled plot structures rather than offering deeper character development.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
After all, Perfidia explodes other archetypes, too—for instance, abdicating her roles as a mother and romantic partner to continue her work.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
Under Mikel Arteta, they have been held up as the archetypes of this anti-style; the best set-piece team in the league, with its stingiest defence.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The research is zeroing in on three fabric archetypes—cotton knit, cotton woven and polyester knit—to get some idea of what variables influence their shedding and to what extent, none of which has been intuitive.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
Noun
-
Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The primacy of a central meeting space can be traced to the Greek Empire with the agora, among other forerunners.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, Mayor of Kingstown, which — like most Sheridan series — is expensive to make, has not broken into Nielsen’s originals Top 10 with its fourth season having done so with previous installments.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
5 Jan. 2026
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Labubus have become a hot commodity since then, as consumers worldwide fight to nab originals for themselves.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
27 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Nor can Brownfield vote in Squaxin elections, or harvest clams on the Salish Sea beaches where her ancestors did so for generations.—
David Treuer,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
The biologists believe that early monitor lizards, including the ancestors of Australian monitors known as goannas, originally lost their osteoderms because an active, pursuit-hunting lifestyle favored speed and agility over heavy body armor.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Building the drone 3D printing enabled the father-son duo to rapidly build prototypes and switch things up when needed.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
15 Jan. 2026
-
As prototypes stabilized, the team switched to solar panels and kept fine-tuning.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its supply chain spans continents — chemical precursors from China, synthesized in Mexico, and transported across the southern border in quantities small enough to evade traditional enforcement — before spreading into communities far from any border.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Since its membership is entirely international, the awards sometimes reflect the taste of an increasingly global Academy better than guild precursors like the SAG Awards or DGAs.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Whenever using space heaters in a bathroom or kitchen, take all precautions to reduce the risk of electric shock whether that's positioning your heater away from water sources like sinks and showers.—
Shivani Vyas,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Plot details are under wraps, though sources tell us this is a cop film.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Key Takeaways Running, cycling, HIIT, and jumping rope are all examples of cardio exercise proven to improve cholesterol profiles.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
14 Jan. 2026
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Strangely some of the most famous examples are of accountants and insurance salesman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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