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
Most people fall into one of four archetypes — the Firefighter, Novelist, Astronaut, or Neurosurgeon.
—
Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026
Founder Giorgia Gabriele’s elevated take on fashion archetypes, top-notch fabrications and precise execution make such an exercise child’s play.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
Psychological concepts for personal growth focus on card patterns, symbols, and archetypes.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
More specifically, scorers were asked to look for ways in which nominees reject traditional male archetypes of business leadership and lead with their own authentic, unique strengths.
—David Spiegel, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
And not to get too pretentious, but in a Greek theater setting, the archetypes these guys represent.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Such archetypes have also inadvertently appeared on the runways of luxury brands such as Chanel and Miu Miu.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Across the event, different archetypes succeeded for different reasons.
—D’joumbarey A. Moreau, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an amalgam of Hollywood archetypes, the essence of a big-screen hero boiled down and maybe left on the stove too long.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Big Think, 4 Mar. 2026
Founder Giorgia Gabriele’s elevated take on fashion archetypes, top-notch fabrications and precise execution make such an exercise child’s play.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026
Psychological concepts for personal growth focus on card patterns, symbols, and archetypes.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
More specifically, scorers were asked to look for ways in which nominees reject traditional male archetypes of business leadership and lead with their own authentic, unique strengths.
—David Spiegel, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
And not to get too pretentious, but in a Greek theater setting, the archetypes these guys represent.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 21 Feb. 2026
Such archetypes have also inadvertently appeared on the runways of luxury brands such as Chanel and Miu Miu.
—Kati Chitrakorn, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Across the event, different archetypes succeeded for different reasons.
—D’joumbarey A. Moreau, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an amalgam of Hollywood archetypes, the essence of a big-screen hero boiled down and maybe left on the stove too long.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
Noun
-
These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
And these projects may just be the forerunners.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These aren’t the looks that hew closest to the originals, but rather, the ones that best embody their sartorial spirit.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Viewing hours for Netflix originals already accelerated to 9% in the second half of 2025, and the analyst nodded to the company’s strong content slate for 2026.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The point is to have enough free-ranging bison to provide tribal members with the hunts, the food, and the presence that connect them to their ancestors.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Intelligent, tool-using species — including our direct ancestors — have been around for millions of years.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Electrolyte being tested in battery prototypes The researchers are testing their electrolyte in various battery prototypes.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This pair of prototypes were caught undergoing cold-weather testing in Sweden, by the looks of it.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Longmore noted that some of the complex molecules are thought to be precursors to amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Just as most precursors have done, the PGA gave PTA and his fellow producers Adam Somner and Sara Murphy their Best Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures Award.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Noem and her chief adviser Corey Lewandowski -- who is reportedly also departing DHS -- both had a knack for lashing out, yelling and berating staff that crossed them, according to sources.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Currently, most data centers draw from the public grid rather than securing their own energy sources – a fact that many associate with sky-high electricity prices.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Those are just some examples of how Chinese startups and tech giants are rapidly expanding worldwide, one year after DeepSeek’s AI reasoning model shocked global investors.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
And those are just two examples of the myriad plant life on display.—
Kristin Scharkey,
USA Today,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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