archetype
[ ahr-ki-tahyp ]
/ ˈɑr kɪˌtaɪp /
noun
the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.
(in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.
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Nearby words
arches national park, archespore, archesporium, archetto, archetypal, archetype, archfiend, archi-, archibald, archibald prize, archibenthos
Origin of archetype
Related forms
ar·che·typ·al, ar·che·typ·i·cal [ahr-ki-tip-i-kuh l] /ˌɑr kɪˈtɪp ɪ kəl/, ar·che·typ·ic, adjectivear·che·typ·al·ly, ar·che·typ·i·cal·ly, adverbCan be confused
archetype prototypeDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for archetype
British Dictionary definitions for archetype
archetype
/ (ˈɑːkɪˌtaɪp) /
noun
a perfect or typical specimen
an original model or pattern; prototype
psychoanal one of the inherited mental images postulated by Jung as the content of the collective unconscious
a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, painting, etc
Word Origin for archetype
C17: from Latin archetypum an original, from Greek arkhetupon, from arkhetupos first-moulded; see arch-, type
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medicine definitions for archetype
archetype
[ är′kĭ-tīp′ ]
n.
An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned.
In Jungian psychology, an inherited pattern of thought or symbolic image that is derived from the past collective experience of humanity and is present in the unconscious of the individual.imago
Related forms
ar′che•typ′al (-tī′pəl) null null adj.ar′che•typ′i•cal•ly adv.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Culture definitions for archetype
archetype
[ (ahr-ki-teyep) ]
An original model after which other similar things are patterned. In the psychology of Carl Jung, archetypes are the images, patterns, and symbols (see also symbol) that rise out of the collective unconscious and appear in dreams, mythology, and fairy tales.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.