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Dictionary Entry

paradigm

Part of SpeechnounPronunciation/ˈpæ.ɹə.daɪm/Word FrequencyCommon (4.6)Curriculum FrequencyLess common (2)

A pattern, a way of doing something, especially a pattern of thought, a system of beliefs, a conceptual framework.

In a Sentence

Thomas Kuhn's landmark “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” got people talking about paradigm shifts, to the point the word itself now suggests an incomplete or biased perspective.

Published Usage Examples

The term "paradigm shift" is bandied around with promiscuous ease.

This entry also appears in ReadingWillow Year 12 and Year 11 word lists, so students can move between the dictionary and year-level study sets.

Origin

From Greek paradigmatos, from para‑ ‘beside’ + deiknunai ‘to show’.

Common Phrases

. paradigmshift paradigmparadigm newparadigm dominantparadigm oldparadigm researchparadigm scientific
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Poetry examples for paradigm

Excerpts from the ReadingWillow English Library collection.

Poetry examples are still being gathered for this entry. They will appear here once matching poems are available in the library.