variants
also archetypical
1
as in classic
constituting, serving as, or worthy of being a pattern to be imitated
St. Peter's basilica in Rome is considered by some art historians to be the archetypal structure in the baroque style
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in typical
having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind
the movie's hero is pretty archetypal, lacking in any distinctive qualities that would distinguish him from countless other masked avengers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archetypal
Adjective
-
There's Potato Lab, a new Korean rom-com series, The Leopard, an adaptation of the Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa novel that inspired the classic 1963 from Luchino Visconti, Little Siberia, a Finnish disaster comedy, and Nadaaniyan, a quirky Indian romance.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
4 Mar. 2025 -
Loose Fit Heavyweight Short-Sleeve Pocket T-Shirt A classic short-sleeve T-shirt is a wardrobe essential that can be layered under a crewneck sweater or zip-up sweatshirt just as easily as it can be worn solo with jeans or leggings.—
Rachel Trujillo,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the bit that aired during Sunday’s ceremony, Sandler was seen wearing his typical loose-fitting attire of a hoodie and gym shorts and jokingly stormed out of the Dolby Theatre when O’Brien called him out about it.—
Ryan Gajewski,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Mar. 2025
-
Father-son spat The elder Kwek has alleged that his son and other members of the board breached corporate governance rules by hastily appointing two new directors outside of the typical nomination process.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune Asia,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Draper, oozing charm and confidence in his expensive suit, is the quintessential ad man—a modern-day David Ogilvy, whose book Confessions of an Advertising Man once defined the industry.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
-
When thinking about quintessential Southern attributes, qualities like hospitable, benevolent, and polite come to mind.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
During 2024, the average age of the global fleet rose almost a full 12 months, jumping to 13.4 years from 12.5 in 2023, based on our analysis.—
Oliver Wyman,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
-
That basic annuity is calculated using years of service and the highest average pay during three consecutive years of service, so even employees who are eligible for the program could end up with a lower-than-expected benefit if they are pushed out.—
Jesse Pound,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Actors, the company said, will be paid standard industry rates to voice all dialogue in every script.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
4 Mar. 2025
-
This in and of itself seems standard fare for a business choice like this.—
Aamina Inayat Khan,
StyleCaster,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
According to multiple reputable sources, including Reuters, CoinDesk, Economic Times and Bloomberg, these influential voices are: Crypto Confidential: Forbes' definitive guide to crypto and blockchain, delivered to your inbox every Saturday.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Alamo Lamar, March 7, 3 p.m. Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror From humble origins as a London fringe theater play to its meteoric rise, fall and resurrection as the biggest cult film of all time, this is the definitive story of the Rocky Horror Show.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Veterans Affairs benefits, including pensions and disability checks, would also continue as normal under a shutdown.—
Nik Popli,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
-
The Islanders filled up Nassau Coliseum one more time in the spring of 2021, when another delirious run to the semis provided the backdrop and the soundtrack as life seemed to return to normal.—
Jerry Beach,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Similarly, in family matters, valuable advice came from both exemplary parents and those who had experienced great loss.—
Jamie Hopkins,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
-
The cook is at ease in her kitchen and boasts exemplary knife skills.—
Philip Tinari,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Archetypal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archetypal. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share