Archenemy

In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) or archnemesis is the main enemy of someone.[1][2][3] In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy.

For other uses, see Archenemy (disambiguation).

Sherlock Holmes wrestling against archenemy Professor Moriarty.

Etymology

The word archenemy sometimes spelled as arch-enemy originated around the mid-16th century, from the words arch-[3] (from Greek ἄρχω archo meaning 'to lead') and enemy.[1]

An archenemy may also be referred to as an archrival,[4] archfoe,[5] archvillain,[6] or archnemesis.[7] However, an archenemy may also be distinguished from a nemesis, with the latter being an enemy whom the hero cannot defeat (or who defeats the hero), even while not being a longstanding or consistent enemy to the hero.[8]

See also

References
  1. "archenemy definition". Dictionary.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 7 September 2008.
  2. "archenemy – Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  3. Wicaksono, Rachel. "BBC World Service | Learning English | Ask about English". BBC. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  4. "Definition of ARCHRIVAL". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  5. "Definition of ARCHFOE". merriam-webster.com.
  6. "Definition of ARCHVILLAIN". merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  7. "Definition of ARCHNEMESIS". merriam-webster.com.
  8. Sage Michael, How to Become a Superhero: the Ultimate Guide to the Ultimate You! (2011), p. 228.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.