1
as in forerunner
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in original
something from which copies are made
Beowulf is considered by some scholars to be the archetype for medieval British heroic tales
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of archetype
In 2022, a 10-year review of the EPPP was published, categorising three ‘archetypes’ of development pathways.
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Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 18 Mar. 2025
On the dark side, the fiery archetype of this Mars-y energy can result in aggression, impulse and erratic behavior.
—Valerie Mesa, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
The designer had fun playing with different archetypes.
—Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 14 Mar. 2025
\In her loneliness and, paradoxically, in her peculiarity, Mickey embodies a recognizable archetype: the righteous female cop protagonist of a prestige crime drama.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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The most obvious forerunner is Video Quartet, a 2002 work in which four screens show four videos simultaneously, each constructed from myriad film clips, all synced in a way that interlaces their soundtracks into a musical composition.—
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Solution #4: Charles Schwab Schwab, a forerunner in discount brokerage, has a bank subsidiary that can do what banks usually do.—
Noun
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On the streaming originals chart, 1923 hit a new weekly viewership high with the debut of Season 2, racking up 676M minutes viewed.—
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Stewart famously played Charles Xavier/Professor X and McKellan took on Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto across the X-Men franchise, which launched with the 2000 original.—
Noun
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The ancestors of tens of millions of Americans left miserable lives in Ireland for initially difficult ones here.—
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The flights will begin before Chuseok (October 15), also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, which celebrates both the harvest and their ancestors.—
Noun
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As improbable as that sounds for an upright, short-wheelbase 4×4, the EV Bronco prototype is about much more than just straight-line speed and all-electric range.—
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His most egregious act may have been sharing a video that purported to show a fully functional prototype, whereas the truck actually was rolling down a small hill.—
Noun
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For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.—
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This concoction of shredded beef in tomato sauce is believed by some to be a precursor to the American Sloppy Joe.—
Noun
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Creating a carbon copy of the original could attract criticism for being lazy and superfluous whereas straying too far from the source material could alienate fans.—
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Staff members at the U.S. Institute of Peace were informed they were terminated effective immediately on Friday, five sources familiar with the situation told CBS News.—
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
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