paradigm

paradigm — noun

1. a person, thing, or event that stands out as such a clear case of some quality o

1.nounC1
Definition

a person, thing, or event that stands out as such a clear case of some quality or kind that other cases can be measured against it — for example, calling Steve Jobs a paradigm of design-led leadership, or pointing to Tokyo as a paradigm of how a busy city can still feel safe.

Example

Many architects treat the new Helsinki library as a paradigm of public-friendly design.

a paradigm of [admired quality]

Coach Mendes is held up as a paradigm for young football managers in South America.

a paradigm for [group of learners]

Common collocations
  • a paradigm of
  • a paradigm for
  • held up as a paradigm
  • cite as a paradigm
  • the perfect paradigm
  • a shining paradigm
Synonyms
  • model

    everyday word; less formal and less academic-sounding

  • exemplar

    very formal; emphasises being a perfect specimen worth copying

  • archetype

    stresses being the original pattern from which later versions descend

  • epitome

    stresses being the purest concentration of a single quality

Grammar Patterns

a paradigm of [quality]

a paradigm for [activity/group]

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, place, work, or organisation that observers single out as outstanding. Almost always followed by 'of' (the quality) or 'for' (the people who should learn from it); rarely used with a bare object. Distinguish from sense 2 — this sense names a real-world example that others copy, while sense 2 names a whole way of thinking.

Common Mistakes

She is a paradigm.
She is a paradigm of patience.
'paradigm' almost always needs 'of + quality' to say what makes the example notable.
This phone is a paradigm to the new ones.
This phone is a paradigm for the new ones.
use 'for' before the group that takes the example, not 'to'.

2. the whole set of ideas, methods, and basic beliefs that researchers, teachers, o

2.nounC1
Definition

the whole set of ideas, methods, and basic beliefs that researchers, teachers, or a profession share at a certain time, and that quietly shapes which questions feel sensible to ask and which answers feel acceptable — like the long period when scientists assumed the Earth sat at the centre of the universe.

Example

Einstein's theory of relativity overturned the old paradigm in physics.

overturn / replace + the [field] paradigm

Many teachers say remote learning has forced a paradigm shift in how schools measure progress.

fixed phrase: paradigm shift

Common collocations
  • paradigm shift
  • the dominant paradigm
  • the current paradigm
  • a new paradigm
  • challenge the paradigm
  • shift the paradigm
Synonyms
  • framework

    more neutral; a structure of ideas without the 'shared by a whole field' weight

  • worldview

    broader; covers personal beliefs as well as scientific ones

  • model

    lighter and more concrete; can refer to a single theory, not a whole school of thought

  • school of thought

    stresses the group of people who hold the view, not the ideas themselves

Grammar Patterns

a paradigm of [field]

a [adjective] paradigm

shift in paradigm

Usage Note

Strongly associated with the fixed collocation 'paradigm shift' (a sudden, deep change in how a field thinks). Subject is typically a discipline, industry, or community of experts, not an individual. Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 2 refers to a shared mental framework, not a single outstanding example. In business writing the word can sound buzzword-heavy; use sparingly.

Common Mistakes

There has been a paradigm change in education.
There has been a paradigm shift in education.
the standard collocation is 'paradigm shift', not 'paradigm change'.
My personal paradigm of cooking is very simple.
My personal approach to cooking is very simple.
'paradigm' refers to a whole field's thinking, not one person's habits.

3. in grammar study, the full table of related shapes that one word takes when it c

3.nounC2
Definition

in grammar study, the full table of related shapes that one word takes when it changes for tense, number, person, or case — for example, the Latin verb 'amare' laid out as 'amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant', or English 'go' shown as 'go, goes, going, went, gone'.

Example

The textbook prints the full paradigm of the Latin verb 'amare' on a single page.

the paradigm of [a specific word]

Professor Sato asked the class to copy out the paradigm of three Russian nouns.

the paradigm of [noun/verb]

Common collocations
  • verb paradigm
  • noun paradigm
  • the paradigm of
  • a full paradigm
  • an irregular paradigm
  • learn the paradigm
Synonyms
  • inflection table

    plain teaching term; what most modern coursebooks actually print

  • conjugation

    specific to verbs; the act or table of changing a verb's endings

  • declension

    specific to nouns, pronouns, and adjectives in case-marked languages

Grammar Patterns

the paradigm of [a word]

a verb / noun paradigm

Usage Note

Used almost only in language teaching, grammar reference books, and linguistic research. Object is usually a single word (the word being inflected) or a word class (verbs, nouns). Distinguish from senses 1 and 2 — this sense is purely technical and refers to the table of forms, not a model or a school of thought.

Common Mistakes

The paradigm of English grammar is hard.
English grammar is hard.
in the linguistics sense, 'paradigm' is the table of one word's forms, not the grammar of a whole language.
Please learn the paradigms about French verbs.
Please learn the paradigms of French verbs.
use 'of' before the inflected word, not 'about'.

Word family

  • paradigmatic
    adjectiveC2
  • paradigmatically
    adverbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words all point to something held up as the standout case of a kind, but they sit at different heights of formality and stress different things. 'Model' is the everyday choice — a model employee, a model student — neutral and easy to use in speech. 'Paradigm' is heavier and more academic; reach for it in essays, reviews, or business writing when you want to say something is the textbook case worth measuring others against. 'Exemplar' is even more formal and praise-laden, often appearing in obituaries or award speeches: 'an exemplar of public service'. 'Archetype' shifts the focus to origin and pattern — the archetype of the brooding detective is Sherlock Holmes, because later versions copy his shape. 'Epitome' narrows in on a single quality concentrated to its purest form: 'she is the epitome of calm under pressure'. So you might call a school 'a model of inclusive teaching' in casual praise, but 'a paradigm of inclusive teaching' in a research paper.

paradigm ↗model ↗exemplararchetypeepitome

Common collocations

Nouns

  • paradigm shift
  • paradigm change
  • design paradigm
  • scientific paradigm
  • cultural paradigm

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a new paradigm
  • the dominant paradigm
  • challenge the paradigm
  • shift the paradigm
  • fit the paradigm
  • break the paradigm

Prepositions

  • paradigm of
  • paradigm for
  • paradigm in

Etymology

GreekLate LatinEnglish

Entered English in the late 1400s from Late Latin 'paradigma' (a pattern or example used in teaching), which came from Greek 'paradeigma' — literally a 'showing side by side', formed from 'para-' (beside) plus 'deiknynai' (to show). For centuries the word kept its narrow grammar-school meaning of a model word laid out in all its forms. The far broader 'whole framework of thinking' sense took off in the 1960s after the historian Thomas Kuhn used it that way in his book on scientific revolutions, and from there it spread into business and everyday writing — bringing the now-everywhere phrase 'paradigm shift' with it.