archetype

archetype definition - medical

ar·che·type (ärˈkĭ-tīpˌ)

noun
  1. An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned.
  2. In Jungian psychology, an inherited pattern of thought or symbolic image that is derived from the past collective experience of humanity and is present in the unconscious of the individual. Also called imago.

Related Forms:

  • arˌche·typˈal (-tīˈpəl), arˌche·typˈic (-tĭpˈĭk), arˌche·typˈi·cal adjective

Related Forms:

  • arˌche·typˈi·cal·ly adverb

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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