noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/
General-American:/ˈɑɹkɪtaɪp/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AA1 R K IH0 T AY2 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Near-synonym: prototype (sometimes synonymous)
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prototype
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An ideal example of something; a quintessence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A character, object, or story that is based on a known character, object, or story.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: literature, media, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
According to Swiss psychologist Carl Jung: a universal pattern of thought, present in an individual's unconscious, inherited from the past collective experience of humanity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A protograph (“original manuscript of a text from which all further copies derive”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To depict as, model using, or otherwise associate an object or subject with an archetype.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
something that serves as a model or a basis for making copies
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
this painting is a copy of the original
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: original, pilot
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: model, example
History
Etymology
From Old French architipe (modern French archétype), from Latin archetypum (“original”), from Ancient Greek ἀρχέτυπον (arkhétupon, “model, pattern”), the neuter form of ἀρχέτυπος (arkhétupos, “first-moulded”), from ἀρχή (arkhḗ, “beginning, origin”) (from ἄρχω (árkhō, “to begin; to lead, rule”), from Proto-Indo-European *h2ergh- (“to begin; to command, rule”)) + τῠ́πος (tŭ́pos, “blow, pressing; sort, type”) (from τύπτω (túptō, “to beat, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewp- (“to push; to stick”)).
Across languages
Translations
79 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Aramaic:
ܕܡܘܬܐ
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Bulgarian:
първообраз
(pǎrvoobraz)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Catalan:
arquetip
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Chinese Mandarin:
原型
(yuánxíng)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Czech:
archetyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Danish:
arketype
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Dutch:
archetype
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Dutch:
oermodel
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Esperanto:
pratipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Esperanto:
arĥetipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Esperanto:
arketipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Finnish:
arkkityyppi
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Finnish:
eksemplaari
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Finnish:
perikuva
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
French:
archétype
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
არქეტიპი
(arkeṭiṗi)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
დედანი
(dedani)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
მოდელი
(modeli)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
ნიმუში
(nimuši)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
ორიგინალი
(originali)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
პირველსახე
(ṗirvelsaxe)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Georgian:
პროტოტიპი
(ṗroṭoṭiṗi)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
German:
Urbild
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
German:
Prototyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
German:
Archetyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Greek:
αρχέτυπο
(archétypo)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Ancient Greek:
εἰκών
(eikṓn)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Hindi:
आद्यरूप
(ādyarūp)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Hindi:
आद्यप्ररूप
(ādyaprarūp)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Hindi:
आदिरूप
(ādirūp)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Hindi:
आदिप्ररूप
(ādiprarūp)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Hungarian:
archetípus
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Ido:
primtipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Italian:
archetipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Italian:
capostipite
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Japanese:
原型
(genkei)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Japanese:
祖型
(sokei)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Macedonian:
архетип
(arhetip)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Manx:
ard-chaslys
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Middle English:
forebīsen
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Norwegian Bokmål:
arketyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Norwegian Bokmål:
arketype
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Norwegian Nynorsk:
arketyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Norwegian Nynorsk:
arketype
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Polish:
archetyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Portuguese:
arquétipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Russian:
архети́п
(arxetíp)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Russian:
образе́ц
(obrazéc)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Russian:
оригина́л
(originál)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Russian:
прототи́п
(prototíp)
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Spanish:
arquetipo
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Spanish:
exponente
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Swedish:
arketyp
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Vietnamese:
nguyên mẫu
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Vietnamese:
nguyên hình
— original model of which all other similar concepts, objects, or persons are merely copied, derivative, emulated, or patterned
Catalan:
arquetip
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Chinese Mandarin:
典範 /典范
(diǎnfàn)
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Finnish:
eksemplaari
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Finnish:
perikuva
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Ido:
ideo
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Portuguese:
arquétipo
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Russian:
образе́ц
(obrazéc)
— ideal example of something — see also quintessence
Catalan:
arquetip
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Finnish:
malliesimerkki
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Finnish:
perikuva
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Georgian:
პროტოტიპი
(ṗroṭoṭiṗi)
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Greek:
αρχέτυπο
(archétypo)
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Polish:
archetyp
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Portuguese:
arquétipo
— character, object, or story based on a known character, object, or story
Catalan:
arquetip
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Dutch:
archetype
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Finnish:
arkkityyppi
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
French:
archétype
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
German:
Archetyp
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Greek:
αρχέτυπο
(archétypo)
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Polish:
archetyp
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Portuguese:
arquétipo
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Russian:
архети́п
(arxetíp)
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
Turkish:
arketip
— Jungian psychology: universal pattern of thought
