antitype
|an-ti-type|
/ˈæn.ti.taɪp/
corresponding counterpart / fulfillment
Etymology
'antitype' originates from Late Latin/Greek, specifically the Greek word 'antitupos' (ἀντίτυπος), where 'anti-' meant 'against, opposite' and 'typos' meant 'mark, model, impression'.
'antitype' changed from Late Latin 'antitypus' used in ecclesiastical/theological Latin and entered English usage via theological writings in the 16th–17th centuries, becoming the modern English word 'antitype'.
Initially, it meant 'a counterpart or opposite in prophetic/typological contexts' (especially the fulfillment of a 'type'), but over time it broadened to mean a more general 'corresponding counterpart' or 'opposite'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
in Christian typology: the person or thing that fulfills or corresponds to an earlier 'type' (a foreshadowing figure or event).
In Christian interpretation, Christ is often identified as the antitype of the Passover lamb.
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Noun 2
a counterpart or opposite; something that corresponds to or contrasts with another thing.
That decision was the antitype of the policy it replaced—completely opposite in approach.
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Last updated: 2025/09/11 12:58