archetype
US /ˈɑːr.kə.taɪp/
UK /ˈɑːr.kə.taɪp/
1.
a very typical example of a certain person or thing
:
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He is the archetype of the successful entrepreneur.
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The hero's journey is a common archetype in literature.
2.
(in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, or image universally present in individual psyches
:
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The shadow is a powerful archetype in Jungian theory.
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Many myths and fairy tales feature common archetypes like the wise old man or the innocent maiden.