In literature, anarchenemy, (sometimes spelled asarch-enemy) ornemesis is the mainenemy of theprotagonist — or sometimes, one of the other main characters — appearing as the most prominent and most-known enemy of thehero.[1][2][3]
The wordarchenemy originated around the mid-16th century, from the wordsarch-[3] (fromGreek ἄρχωarcho meaning 'to lead') andenemy.[1]
An archenemy may also be referred to as anarchrival,[4]archfoe,[5]archvillain,[6] orarchnemesis,[7] but an archenemy may also be distinguished from an archnemesis, 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]
The archenemy should not be confused with the proper meaning ofNemesis — the Greek goddess of justice, retribution, and vengeance — who delivered divine punishment on those who committed great offences against the gods and the world.[9]
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