1
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
2
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetype
The on-set archetypes of a Chinese film crew paralleled those of Hollywood.
—
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Even so, The New York Times is widely credited for developing the archetype of modern op-ed pages in September 1970.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
There’s a lot of, kind of hockey player archetypes — the flashy, cocky European superstar, that’s definitely a type.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
With a mix of archetypes, monomyths, imagery, and characters, something beautiful begins to emerge.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Even so, The New York Times is widely credited for developing the archetype of modern op-ed pages in September 1970.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
There’s a lot of, kind of hockey player archetypes — the flashy, cocky European superstar, that’s definitely a type.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
With a mix of archetypes, monomyths, imagery, and characters, something beautiful begins to emerge.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
-
Her husband Patrik reopens the cold case, but Erica – unhappy with the inquiry original conducted by Patrik’s mentor Gösta, starts her own investigation.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
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Now there are two locations — with the new one on South Bascom Avenue in San Jose open longer hours than the Sunnyvale original.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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
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Hungary’s incoming premier today showed investors how austere he is compared to his forerunner.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Cacioppo—who taught herself to code from books before writing Vanta’s first prototype—now oversees roughly 1,000 employees.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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But for this exhibition, Belarus is a prototype, not an exception.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Regardless of whether plans are rejigged, there will be plenty of pomp and circumstance for Charles, 77, as befitting a state visit of a British king to a country that his ancestors once ruled.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
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By shedding heavy shells like those seen in early nautiloids and ammonites, the ancestors of modern octopuses traded passive defense for active offense.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Bo Erickson | Reuters A source who was attending the event, and was briefed by Secret Service after the shooting, told CNBC’s Eamon Javers that a man with a shotgun had approached metal detectors and was shot by Secret Service agents.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
26 Apr. 2026
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David Rubenstein, principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles, was also among the guests, sources told Candy Woodall of Spotlight on Maryland.—
Bridget Byrne,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The micro-drama, or duanju, emerged around 2018, and became popular on Douyin, the Chinese precursor to TikTok.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then a guy named Jerry Harvey started Z Channel, the legendary precursor to HBO.—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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