archetype

American  

[ahr-ki-tahyp] / ˈɑr kɪˌtaɪp /

noun

1. 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.

2. (in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.

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archetype British  

/ ˈɑːkɪˌtaɪp /

noun

1. a perfect or typical specimen

2. an original model or pattern; prototype

3. psychoanal one of the inherited mental images postulated by Jung as the content of the collective unconscious

4. a constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, painting, etc

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archetype Cultural  

1. 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.

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Usage

What does archetype mean? An archetype is an original model that other things of the same kind will copy or be based on, as in The company’s 2007 product would be the archetype that all its later models would be based on. The word archetype is also used in Jungian psychology to refer to unconscious thoughts or symbols that seem to be universal, as in Loki and Pan are two of the Trickster archetype that appear in ancient mythology. An archetype as an original model is very similar to a prototype, which also refers to an original design or model. However, an archetype is sometimes used to specifically mean that something is considered to be the best, something that all similar things should strive to be. A prototype, on the other hand, may be unfinished or flawed. Things that are based on the prototype as an example may be quite different from it in the end. In psychology, archetype is specifically from the theories of psychiatrist Carl Jung. Jung theorized that all humans unconsciously share certain thoughts or images that are expressed in fairy tales and mythology. For example, many cultures have similar ideas of what a hero is even though they never shared the idea with each other. That similar idea is called an archetype, and the hero in a story would be a specific archetype. Based on Jung’s usage, archetype is often used similarly to the word trope or stereotype to refer to a recurring theme or an element that constantly reappears in art, as in The character was a classic example of the grizzled veteran cop archetype. The adjective form of archetype is both archetypal and archetypical, as in In this story, the wise old man is an archetypal messiah figure. Example: The award-winning film would become the archetype for the genre that many following films would try to duplicate.

Other Word Forms

• archetypal adjective
• archetypally adverb
• archetypic adjective
• archetypical adjective
• archetypically adverb

Etymology

Origin of archetype

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin archetypum “an original,” from Greek archétypon “a model, pattern,” neuter of archétypos “of the first mold,” equivalent to arche- + type

Explanation

An archetype is a perfect example or model of something. If you have long blonde hair, a sparkly ball gown, and a fairy godmother hovering over your head, you're the archetype of a fairytale princess. In the psychology of Carl Jung, an archetype is an inherited pattern of thought derived from the past experience of the whole race and present in our unconscious minds––Cinderella might be an archetype for girls in our culture; the boogey man is another. This noun is from Latin archetypum, from Greek archetypon, from archetypos "of the first mold," from archein "to begin" plus typos "type."

Example Sentences

Many of the AI country tunes tap into the genre's archetype of the lone cowboy: a rugged, taciturn, plain-spoken man who, above all, refuses to apologize for simply existing.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

She’s got “slay” and “work” sitting at the tip of her tongue, ready to rip, and it’s a blast seeing what Wineman does with this very specific archetype.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

At least if they don’t understand the actual references they get the archetype.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

With his gym clothes, cross necklace, floppy hair, and singular fixation on linking all of his efforts and successes to his faith, the 19-year-old Pittman looked like the archetype of the Southern Christian sports bro.

From Slate • Jan. 22, 2026

In literature and in the popular imagination, the all-seeing private eye—the gumshoe, the cinder dick, the sleuthhound, the shadow—displaced the crusading sheriff as the archetype of rough justice.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann