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
To read Young’s novel is to dwell in uncertainties and shadows, in Jungian archetypes and their dissolution.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Content should remain local in voice, but strong archetypes can travel if shaped well from the start.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Every night there will be a different theme embracing different vampire archetypes.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Ruggedness, dependability, and handiness define a lot of outdoor archetypes, from the ski patroller to the river guide to the park ranger.
—Outside Online, 8 Oct. 2025
Its supreme confidence in its own vision, coupled with a gorgeous score from Tangerine Dream, makes Near Dark the most valuable addition to the (unfortunately rather small) group of films that mix horror with Western archetypes.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
This pointed to suits and sartorial pieces with a little twist, expressed in tweaks in texture or proportion that were just enough to cast a new light on familiar wardrobe archetypes.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Now escape the generic archetypes of logic and think like a novelist, remembering (or discovering) a specific story of when every person on your list was creative in their own distinct way.
—Angus Fletcher, Big Think, 29 Sep. 2025
Asteroids represent archetypes, and Juno specifically rules soul contracts, loyalty, devotion, and commitments, both romantic and otherwise.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
Content should remain local in voice, but strong archetypes can travel if shaped well from the start.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025
Every night there will be a different theme embracing different vampire archetypes.
—Angelika Ytuarte, jsonline.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Ruggedness, dependability, and handiness define a lot of outdoor archetypes, from the ski patroller to the river guide to the park ranger.
—Outside Online, 8 Oct. 2025
Its supreme confidence in its own vision, coupled with a gorgeous score from Tangerine Dream, makes Near Dark the most valuable addition to the (unfortunately rather small) group of films that mix horror with Western archetypes.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
This pointed to suits and sartorial pieces with a little twist, expressed in tweaks in texture or proportion that were just enough to cast a new light on familiar wardrobe archetypes.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Now escape the generic archetypes of logic and think like a novelist, remembering (or discovering) a specific story of when every person on your list was creative in their own distinct way.
—Angus Fletcher, Big Think, 29 Sep. 2025
Asteroids represent archetypes, and Juno specifically rules soul contracts, loyalty, devotion, and commitments, both romantic and otherwise.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
Noun
-
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
SkyShowtime is committed to screening 10 originals a year, with premieres including Polish hit crime series Śleboda and Schmeichel, a two-part documentary about Manchester United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In addition to live cable, Hulu + Live TV lets subscribers watch originals from Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited.—
Rudie Obias,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The same knowing that my ancestors must have held, that beauty and resilience are not separate things.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
-
Ludwig’s distant paternal ancestors were in fact German Jewish merchants, not warlike princes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There’s even a design echo between the nomadic Mongolian ger — the traditional felt tent sometimes referred to as yurts — and the Martian dome prototypes being developed by the MARS-V engineering team.—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
By comparison, the latest prototypes from Helix, Donut Labs, H3X, and Equipmake offer power densities between 13 and 25kW/kg, still less than half of YASA’s new record.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Li said Sunday that the parties had brokered a preliminary framework for a trade truce including new provisions regarding China’s export controls and safeguards against the smuggling of fentanyl and its chemical precursors.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
27 Oct. 2025
-
The team’s innovation focuses on Surface Immobilized Electrides, a new type of material made by attaching solvated electron precursors to stable surfaces like diamond and silicon carbide.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
During the formative phase of the infant American republic, when its survival was still problematic, iconic founders performed a valuable function as reliable sources of unquestioned wisdom, a veritable gallery of Delphic oracles available on demand.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
While federal grand juries operate in secrecy, any connection between their proceedings and political claims remains speculative unless confirmed by official sources.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One of the most famous examples of a major business leader succeeding from failure was Apple’s visionary cofounder Steve Jobs.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
-
By the time production was finished at the end of the 1993 model year, some 4,697 examples had been built.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share