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archetype
[ahr-ki-tahyp]
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.
archetype
/ ˈɑːɪˌٲɪ /
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
archetype
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.
Other Word Forms
- archetypal adjective
- archetypical adjective
- archetypic adjective
- archetypally adverb
- archetypically adverb
Word History and Origins
Origin of archetype1
Word History and Origins
Origin of archetype1
Example Sentences
Instead of lounging in a cushy, air-conditioned owner’s suite, Cole is in the dugout hours before showtime — a Disney-like archetype, his energy as vibrant as his layered, all-yellow suit, braving the afternoon heat.
Much of the story work is executed during rapid-fire montages, using familiar archetypes and stereotypes to sketch out the basic narrative.
They become archetypes in the Black American mythmaking tradition and arbiters of our constantly shifting Black myth.
Though they all slot into known archetypes — the steely yet vulnerable “final girl,” the condescending jock, the sarcastic pal, the kooky yet intuitive bestie — they’re all fully formed characters, sardonic and self-aware.
This was a realization that made me understand her as a character beyond the archetype.
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When To Use
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.
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