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Avatar vs Archetypal - What's the difference?

avatar | archetypal |

As a noun avatar

is avatar (the earthly incarnation of a deity, particularly vishnu).

As an adjective archetypal is

archetypal.

avatar

English

Alternative forms

* avatara (rare) * Avator (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • In Hinduism the incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu.
  • The physical embodiment of an idea or concept; a personification.
  • * 1886 , Robert Louis Stevenson, dedicatory letter to Kidnapped [contrasting the historical Alan Breac with his incarnation in the novel].
  • And honest Alan, who was a grim fire-eater in his day, has in this new avatar no more desperate purpose than to steal some young gentleman's attention from his Ovid...
  • (computing, or, gaming) A digital representation or handle of a person or being; often, it can take on any of various forms, as a participant chooses. i.e. 3D, animated, photo, sketch of a person or a person's alter ego, sometimes used in a virtual world or virtual chat room.
  • * 1992 (Neal Stephenson), (Snow Crash)
  • The people are pieces of software called avatars . They are the audiovisual bodies that people use to communicate with each other in the Metaverse.
  • * '>citation
  • See also

    References

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    archetypal

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to an archetype.
  • * '>citation
  • Synonyms

    * archetypic * archetypical