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
The figure of the idol is distinct from other pop archetypes like the rock star and the diva.
—
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
These archetypes have existed since the beginning of time.
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
Whether in a comedy, with slapstick archetypes, or in a serious Shakespearean tragedy, communicating subtle threats through unique gestures, gait, and facial expressions, or in a modern experimental piece, Dominic excels.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Your Lorenz Hart also toys with archetypes of gayness.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Payton often points back to Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem from his years in New Orleans as sort of the archetypes.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 11 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
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
These archetypes have existed since the beginning of time.
—Lucy Handley, Big Think, 20 Mar. 2026
Whether in a comedy, with slapstick archetypes, or in a serious Shakespearean tragedy, communicating subtle threats through unique gestures, gait, and facial expressions, or in a modern experimental piece, Dominic excels.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Your Lorenz Hart also toys with archetypes of gayness.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2026
Payton often points back to Devery Henderson and Robert Meachem from his years in New Orleans as sort of the archetypes.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 11 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
Noun
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Linda May Han Oh playing classic repertoire from throughout Coltrane’s career and originals inspired by his legacy.—
Andrew Gilbert,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In January, the department implemented a new mail policy in which prisoners will receive photocopies of confidential and legal mail instead of the originals, which are shredded to prevent contraband from entering the facility.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However, some species occasionally behave in ways that recall their land-curious evolutionary ancestors.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Your hamburger’s ancestors are extinct.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What to Know Smart glasses are no longer niche prototypes—the devices have become a multibillion-dollar industry, with models typically priced between $270 and more than $1,000 depending on features and brand.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Inside the museum, rare prototypes of Apple products, including its personal computers and smartphones, were on display to showcase the Silicon Valley powerhouse’s long journey.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Such engravings, which depict the wackily maximalist style à la mode, including oodles of feathers and furbelows, were, in essence, early precursors to modern fashion magazines.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Fixing Li-ion battery limits The method works under ambient conditions and relies on simple precursors.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Fatalities data, the group says, is based on a range of sources, including sources among medical workers, publicly available images and official statements.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The attack consisted of Iranian missiles and drones, sources told CBS News.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The upside could be enormous as the genre has produced a slew of stars; recent examples include Millie Bobbie Brown, Joseph Quinn and Sadie Sink of Stranger Things and Aimee Lou Wood, Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa of Sex Education.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Koenigsegg still plans to build just 300 examples, all of which have already been spoken for.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
