archetype

American  

[ahr-ki-tahyp] / ˈɑr kɪˌtaɪp /

noun

• archetypes
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• archetypes
  plural

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

See Examples For:

archetype archetypes

“I can’t think of any archetype of man that fits that description more today than capital allocators that put it all on the line every day in the markets.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

“It was about creating the most elevated version of what their character’s archetype might be,” Marsh said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

Charles Murray used Fishtown as his archetype for the decline of the working class in his 2012 book, “Coming Apart: The State of White America 1960-2010.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

It hoped to highlight the strength of women and fight against the archetype that women needed rescuing, Smith -- who played Kelly Garrett -- told AFP on the red carpet at Hollywood's legendary Dolby Theatre.

From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 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

The personnel we follow in “The Pitt” are archetypes, while J.D.,

From Salon ● Feb. 26, 2026

"Despite both athletes sharing similar racial backgrounds and first-generation immigrant experiences," Prof He says, "they have been cast as opposing archetypes in a narrative they didn't write".

From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2026

The script, written by Bertie Brandes and Aidan Zamiri, who also directs, draws heavily on archetypes in a plot that sticks closely to the familiar artist-against-the-machine formula.

From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026

Were you thinking in terms of archetypes when casting?

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025

He thus describes the inner actions of the soul: the wisdom in man's inner being walks along, "tracing the paths of the Father, and shapes the forms while beholding the archetypes."

From Christianity As Mystical Fact And The Mysteries of Antiquity by Harry Collison