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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetype
Part of what makes the film unique is its characterization of the female characters beyond the archetypes they’re usually assigned.
—
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 July 2025
Through this, Warner helped anchor a narrative that disrupted television’s prevailing archetypes: a successful Black family led by a doctor and a lawyer, complete with loving children and relatable problems.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Standing at 6-3, 205 pounds McAlister is an ideal blend of both archetypes.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2025
One source close to Wang told Fortune that the surprise and confusion stems from the fact that Wang does not fit into the typical tech world archetypes.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Angelique Jackson, Variety, 7 July 2025
Through this, Warner helped anchor a narrative that disrupted television’s prevailing archetypes: a successful Black family led by a doctor and a lawyer, complete with loving children and relatable problems.
—Doug Melville, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
Standing at 6-3, 205 pounds McAlister is an ideal blend of both archetypes.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2025
One source close to Wang told Fortune that the surprise and confusion stems from the fact that Wang does not fit into the typical tech world archetypes.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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Jarry is often cited as a forerunner to the Dada, surrealist and futurist movements in the early 20th century and later, the theater of the absurd.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 July 2025
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Gilligan, who also created Saul’s forerunner Breaking Bad, will serve as writer and showrunner.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
25 July 2025
Noun
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In 1929, the original came down to make way for the Empire State Building.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
25 July 2025
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Paramount+ Premium is $12.99 per month and includes everything in the Essential plan plus Showtime originals, blockbuster movies and live TV with fewer ads.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Our ancestors hunted and gathered for meat and berries and embarked on treacherous overseas journeys for the promise of fertile land.—
Maggie Anders,
Oc Register,
29 July 2025
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And yet, for us, the memory of our ancestors’ strength and courage during times even more trying than ours is a grounding force.—
Brad Riew,
People.com,
29 July 2025
Noun
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The coach’s prototype quickly evolved into a machine featuring a lone basket with a 14-inch rim and a seven-inch ball.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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When one prototype's cooling system underperformed, the retrospective revealed an unexpected airflow pattern that became the key to our final design.—
Wayne Yu,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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One anonymous source donated 40 units, but since then, White said, there have been few, if any, such offerings.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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My sources tell me that the FBI wanted to release more information about Jeffrey Epstein, and Pam Blondi and her DOJ said NO.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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