(noun)
a prototype of something, the original model or pattern of something which has only been imitated or copied for all further representations of the thing;
e.g. She designed an archetype of the instrument she had invented.
(noun)
in psychology, an idea, mode of thought, or mental image that is inherited and present in the collective unconscious of humans according to the theories of Carl Jung;
e.g. This behavior is an archetype of the human race, as observed by Jung.
(noun)
a recurrent idea or symbol in some medium such as literature or art;
e.g. This poem addresses the archetype of life being a journey.