# paradigm

/ˈpɛɹəˌdaɪm/ (US) · /pˈæɹədˌaɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/paradigm
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a way of thinking

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

a set of ideas or a way of looking at the world that influences how people do things.

For teachers: a conceptual framework or world view that shapes the theories and methods of a particular discipline.

- The discovery of DNA created a new paradigm in the field of biology.
- The shift toward renewable energy represents a fundamental paradigm change in how industrial societies perceive resource consumption and environmental responsibility.

### 2. a perfect example

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a very clear or typical example of something.

For teachers: a prototypical example or model that serves as a standard for a specific category.

- The company is often seen as the paradigm of modern successful business.
- His early architectural works are frequently cited as the paradigm of minimalist design, influencing a generation of urban planners.

### 3. word forms

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a list of all the different forms of a word, such as 'walk', 'walks', and 'walking'.

For teachers: the complete set of related inflectional forms of a lexeme, typically presented in a table.

- The teacher asked us to write out the full paradigm for the Latin verb.
- In highly inflected languages, a single noun paradigm may include dozens of distinct forms to indicate case, number, and gender.

Usage: Usually refers to a table or list of grammatical forms.

## Examples

- The scientific method is a paradigm for research.
- Linguists use the Latin paradigm to teach verb conjugations.
- In the 20th century, the shift from the Newtonian paradigm to the quantum paradigm revolutionized physics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.