archvillain en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌɑɹt͡ʃˈvɪlən/ (General-American)
- /ˌɑːtʃˈvɪlən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-der.? Proto-Indo-European *h₂ergʰ-der.? Ancient Greek ἄρχω (árkhō) Ancient Greek ἀρχι- (arkhi-)der. Latin archi-bor. Old English arċe- Middle English arch- English arch- English villain English archvillain From arch- (“chief, most extreme”) + villain.
Meanings
-
A supreme villain; the most evil or powerful villain.
Madoff is the season's archvillain, accused of having run a Ponzi scheme so vast that future generations may well describe similar swindles as Madoff schemes.
2009 January 6, Clyde Haberman, “We Know About the Mess. Please, Clean Up Carefully.”, in New York Times:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| archvillains | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| arch-villain | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
Translations (4)
fi arkkivihollinen (a supreme villain; the most evil or powerful villain) · fi arkkikonna (a supreme villain; the most evil or powerful villain) · pl arcywróg (a supreme villain; the most evil or powerful villain) · pt arquivilão (a supreme villain; the most evil or powerful villain)