Definition

1. Noun:
   • An opposite or contrasting type: Something that is the direct opposite or serves as a contrast to something else.
   • A person or thing represented or foreshadowed by a type or symbol: Specifically in theology, a person or event in the New Testament believed to be prefigured or symbolized by a corresponding person or event (the "type") in the Old Testament.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • In his argument, he presented the modern democratic state as the antitype of the ancient tyrannical empire.
  • For many Christian theologians, the sacrifice of Jesus is seen as the antitype of the Passover lamb in the Old Testament.

Advanced Usage

• Theological Context: In biblical hermeneutics, the concept of type and antitype is central. The "type" is the earlier symbol or foreshadowing (often in the Old Testament), and the "antitype" is the later, greater reality that fulfills it (often in the New Testament).
  • The story of Jonah in the belly of the fish is considered a type, with Jesus's resurrection being its antitype.

Variants and Related Words

• Type (n): The original person, event, or symbol that prefigures or symbolizes a later one. It is the counterpart to the antitype.
  • The manna from heaven is a type of the spiritual nourishment provided by Christ.
• Antitypical (adj): Of or relating to an antitype.
  • The antitypical fulfillment of the prophecy was a central theme of the sermon.

Synonyms

• Counterpart: A person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another.
• Opposite: A person or thing that is totally different from or the reverse of someone or something else.
• Fulfillment: The achievement or realization of something promised or foreshadowed.

Antonyms

• Type: The original symbol or model.
• Archetype: A very typical example of a certain person or thing; the original pattern or model.

Noun

1. an opposite or contrasting type
2. a person or thing represented or foreshadowed by a type or symbol; especially a figure in the Old Testament having a counterpart in the New Testament