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
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
His concept of the collective unconscious, a universal element of the human mind connecting past and present, was fundamental to her understanding of images and the interconnected nature of ancient archetypes.
—
Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Kubiak and Janocko see a combination of the two archetypes in Bowers, a rare breed of tight end who can operate both inside and outside the box.
—Sam Warren, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The blueprint for our contemporary understanding of fame and its perils, and one of the most evident and undeniable archetypes of beauty—just ask Kim Kardashian.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 June 2026
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
Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 3 June 2026
Kubiak and Janocko see a combination of the two archetypes in Bowers, a rare breed of tight end who can operate both inside and outside the box.
—Sam Warren, New York Times, 2 June 2026
The blueprint for our contemporary understanding of fame and its perils, and one of the most evident and undeniable archetypes of beauty—just ask Kim Kardashian.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 June 2026
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
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 subject of if or when Disney+ would push into local Canadian originals has been popular among the country’s producers for several years.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
11 June 2026
-
Revry is responding by making vertical-video versions of all its originals that can be fed to multiple platforms.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Our ancestors’ genomes were built through successive waves of gene transfers.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2026
-
Drawing on generations of Chinatown family lore and silences, See turns China City’s vanished streets and her ancestors’ immigrant gambles into a historical fiction layered with stories of survival and belonging.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
By using full-scale, piloted prototypes that closely resemble the production-standard aircraft, the company aims to validate key technologies, systems integration, and flight models required for regulatory certification.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
-
Working in the Harvard Innovation Labs with co-founders and fellow students John Capodilupo and Aurelian Nicolae, Ahmed wrote his first business plan and developed early prototypes with physiological sensors.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Blair Baek,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Many scientists believe that the vocal systems of great apes were too limited to be considered precursors of human language, but the work of Crockford, Berthet and their colleagues suggests otherwise.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
While sources said a signing ceremony could be held in Switzerland in the coming days, Iran’s foreign minister suggested the signing could take place remotely.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
In addition to its own facility, the company has partnered with a group of garment manufacturers and mills in the region to create localized sources for everything from fabric to finishing while helping to satisfy its customers’ demands.—
SJ Studio,
Footwear News,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
While most would chalk Phil's zeal up to just being an old-school kind of guy, some fans postulate that the Shah of Iran is actually a closeted homosexual himself, and there are a few examples to back this up.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
And what are some of the examples of data points on shoe styles that are collected?—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
