archvillain

noun

arch·​vil·​lain (ˌ)ärch-ˈvi-lən 

plural archvillains

: a principal or extreme villain

Mr. Bernstein is very much in labor's corner as he recounts his story, and he portrays Mr. Lorenzo as an archvillain, heaping blame on him at every turn.

—William Stockton, New York Times Book Review, 26 Aug. 1990

Literary archvillains include Sherlock Holmes' archfoe Professor James Moriarty and Captain Ahab's murderous Moby Dick.

—Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics, 2008

Word History

Etymology

arch- entry 1 + villain entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined above

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