archetypes

noun

plural of archetype
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 For one thing, archetypes are by definition reductive, and there are plenty of people around here who are older, or parents, or retired, or indifferent to the bar scene, or all of the above. — Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026 Hsu’s office aimed to avoid both early on by refusing to name a particular style, reference familiar restaurant archetypes, or let the project become thematic. — Alexis Benveniste, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026 Perhaps that’s why the pair has striven to create fresh archetypes. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026 Second Dinner said once players choose a starter, the Draft Mode steers the choices to complementary cards, and they’re marked with archetypes. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026 The four women are cardboard-cutout archetypes, played in amiable lightweight fashion. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 Players command Hawks, a former Republic officer, leading a customizable squad of diverse archetypes, including Jedi and scoundrels. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Her characters might evoke recognizable archetypes — the himbo, the party girl, the rich kid — but they’re too specifically realized to be defined by them. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026 For her Odyssey press tour, Zendaya called upon Schiaparelli couture to channel the archetypes of Greek mythology at the London premiere of the show. — Shelby Comroe, InStyle, 25 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypes
  1. forerunners
  2. originals
  3. ancestors
  4. prototypes
  5. precursors
  6. sources
  7. examples
Noun
  • Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.
    — Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of forerunners
Noun
  • Singer-songwriter who blew up on TikTok showcases indie-pop originals.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
  • However, Love Overboard did not garner the same level of attention as some of Hulu’s other unscripted originals, including The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, The Kardashians and Vanderpump Villa.
    — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of originals
Noun
  • With a sensibility that reminds me of Barbara Cooney’s art and text, Rebecca tells a story inspired by the lives of Beaton’s ancestors.
    — Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Its rise also marks the beginning of the Hindu celebration of Pitru Paksha, during which worshippers perform rites to honor ancestors by offering prayers and food to past members of their families.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancestors
Noun
  • Although current prototypes serve as early feasibility models, researchers are actively scaling the system’s cooling output by connecting multiple alloy films in parallel.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Climate entrepreneurs urgently need capital to scale projects beyond initial prototypes, with a survey showing 70% require equity but face significant financing hurdles.
    — Rob Day, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of prototypes
Noun
  • The ideology of Third Worldism and the New Agey, anything-goes-style progressivism of the West Coast that Naipaul so keenly lacerates were necessary precursors to the mass death in Guyana.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Jack Kilby, the inventor of the integrated circuit, or microchip, and the handheld calculator—early precursors of AI.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of precursors
Noun
  • Renewable energy credits serve as proof that a company uses electricity from clean energy sources like solar farms, according to the Retail Energy Supply Association.
    — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Other dark leafy greens, such as Swiss chard and collard greens, are good sources, too.
    — Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of sources
Noun
  • Silvester’s concept became the Falcon Study, a new interpretation of the original developed by his San Diego start-up Q7 Yacht Designs, with naval architecture by Dutch firm Dykstra, known for its work on the series of nascent J-Class examples.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 30 Aug. 2026
  • There are already examples in other sports of athletes moving between professional and college systems without producing the same alarm.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of examples

Browse Nearby Words

archetype
archetypes
archfiend
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Archetypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypes. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All