archetypal

[ ahr-ki-tahy-puhl ]

adjective

1. of or having the nature of an archetype, or original model or prototype:

   an archetypal evil stepmother.

Word History and Origins

Origin of archetypal¹

archetyp(e) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

“I didn’t want to do something that felt like an archetypal action hero,” said Egerton.

From BBC

The archetypal American miner nowadays is from Appalachia — Trump rallied with them in West Virginia.

From Los Angeles Times

It took 20 minutes before he briefly sat down, far sooner than the first archetypal throwing down of his hands once seen in the shirts of Newcastle, Liverpool and others.

From BBC

“His productions are bold expressions of archetypal emotions, deeply rooted in a strong sense of spatial resonance and scale,” Shilvock said.

From Los Angeles Times

Each animal in the guidebook came with a quick list of its light and dark qualities, plus some tips from Krans on how to play off their archetypal traits for better living.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• quintessential
• stereotypical