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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of archetype
To that end, the mythological references are meaningful, speaking to the archetypes we’re often locked into, and the defiant types like Cal who make their escape.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Choose from four Tarot archetypes (The Moon, The Star, The High Priestess, or The Empress) for the perfect flavor and decorations on the set.
—Sarah Boyd, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
There’s a lot of those specific archetypes in Ohio!
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 5 May 2025
Both players, though, have worked intensively the past two years to become more than those archetypes.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Choose from four Tarot archetypes (The Moon, The Star, The High Priestess, or The Empress) for the perfect flavor and decorations on the set.
—Sarah Boyd, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
There’s a lot of those specific archetypes in Ohio!
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 5 May 2025
Both players, though, have worked intensively the past two years to become more than those archetypes.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for archetype
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetype
Noun
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Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.—
Victor Luckerson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
-
It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.—
David Krumboltz,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That reinforces the original (or last) experience the customer had with you.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
His translation recognizes, here and throughout, that the original is funny and compelling enough not to need elaborate explanation, even 60 years after its debut.—
Lily Meyer,
The Dial,
20 May 2025
Noun
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While tree-dwelling sloths were out of reach to our ancestors, the large and slow ground animals would have made easy targets.—
Margherita Bassi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
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The banjo itself was invented by our ancestors to bring us together as a spiritual community, stretching from those long gone, all the way to those who haven’t been born yet.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Google’s Project Mariner technology, which the company announced as a research prototype last year, will be able to accomplish certain tasks on a person’s behalf and answer questions that usually require multiple steps, the company claims.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
20 May 2025
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Real Ice hopes to test a prototype this year, says co-CEO Andrea Ceccolini, an Italian computer scientist and investor who joined the company in 2022.—
Alec Luhn,
Scientific American,
20 May 2025
Noun
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Tort claims are typically filed as precursors to a potential lawsuit.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
22 May 2025
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Gleason worked as a senior adviser to the U.S. Digital Service, the precursor to DOGE.—
Melissa Quinn
May 21,
CBS News,
21 May 2025
Noun
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Charlie Davis Season: 46 Placed: 2nd If Q was the hurricane blowing through Survivor 46, Davis was a source of calm geniality at the center, constantly quoting Taylor Swift songs while obscuring his careful, clever gameplay.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Time,
29 May 2025
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In addition, with Serge Gnabry a year away from being a free agent, Leroy Sane’s contract renewal increasingly tenuous, and Kingsley Coman another likely departure, the wide forwards positions — which have so often been a source of such power — need regenerating.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Archetype.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetype. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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