paradigm

noun

par·​a·​digm ˈper-ə-ˌdīm How to pronounce paradigm (audio)
ˈpa-rə-,
 also  -ˌdim
1
: example, pattern
especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
… regard science as the paradigm of true knowledge. G. C. J. Midgley
2
: an example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms
3
: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated
the Freudian paradigm of psychoanalysis
broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind
paradigmatic adjective
paradigmatically adverb

Did you know?

Paradigm traces to a Greek verb meaning "to show," and has been used in English to mean "example" or "pattern" since the 15th century. Some debate exists, however, about what kind of example qualifies as a paradigm. Some people say it's a typical example, while others insist it must be an outstanding or perfect example. The scientific community has added to the confusion by using it to mean "a theoretical framework," a sense popularized by American scientist Thomas S. Kuhn in the second edition of his influential book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, published in 1970. In that work, Kuhn admitted that he had used paradigm in 22 different ways. Some usage commentators now advise avoiding the term entirely on the grounds that it is overused.

Examples of paradigm in a Sentence

And the paradigm of a thing to be philosophical about is death. Jim Holt, New York Times Book Review, 15 Feb. 2009
Such problems drive home a critical flaw in the paradigm of energy independence—namely, that energy isn't a zero-sum game anymore. Paul Roberts, Mother Jones, May/June 2008
That the biomedical paradigm of single cause and single disease was a chimera was well understood by even its most vigorous advocates. Allan M. Brandt, The Cigarette Century, 2007
Her recent book provides us with a new paradigm for modern biography. the Freudian paradigm of psychoanalysis a new study that challenges the current evolutionary paradigm
Recent Examples on the Web Gheorghe and Lenihan wanted to change that paradigm. Bruce Rogers, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The good news is that there’s still time for most of these babies to course-correct by adapting to the new capital paradigm and raising the probability of reaching a healthy adulthood. Raphaelle D’ornano, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 The entire paradigm is wrong — from the vocabulary to the intent to the execution. David L. Bahnsen, National Review, 5 Feb. 2024 According to the settler colonialism paradigm, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European Zionists, with the help of the British, invaded and occupied the land of the indigenous Palestinians. TIME, 1 Feb. 2024 Today, though, Hegel might be forced to loosen his paradigm and assign the role of World-Spirit agent to Taylor Swift. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 31 Jan. 2024 Netflix, which has upended Hollywood over the last decade, scrambling old paradigms for making and releasing movies, and Comcast, a cable giant whose 2011 acquisition of NBCUniversal sparked a fresh wave of consolidation, both picked up 18 nominations. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024 The Apollo moon landings from 1969 to 1972 became a paradigm for a colossal program that tackled a problem nearly impossible to solve with a near-limitless budget — the proverbial moonshot — while CLPS seeks to harness the enthusiasm and ingenuity of start-up entrepreneurs. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The history of computer programming itself is a useful paradigm for understanding the lack of women making puzzles today. Anna Shechtman, The New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paradigm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin paradigma, from Greek paradeigma, from paradeiknynai to show side by side, from para- + deiknynai to show — more at diction

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paradigm was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near paradigm

Cite this Entry

“Paradigm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradigm. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

paradigm

noun
par·​a·​digm ˈpar-ə-ˌdīm How to pronounce paradigm (audio)
-ˌdim
1
: an example showing how something is to be done : model
2
: an example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms
paradigmatic adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!