paradigm

CEFRC1

/ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A typical example or a model for understanding something.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A set of all forms which contain a common element, especially the set of all inflectional forms of a word or a particular grammatical category.

Examples

  • A paradigm is something you think about before you think about it.

  • We need to postulate a completely different paradigm to explain all these phenomena.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
5

Also pronounced

  • [ˈpɛɹ.ə.dɑe̯m]
  • /ˈpæɹ.ə.dɑem/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. An example serving as the model for such a pattern; an exceptionally good or prototypical example of a pattern or group.

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

More examples

In context

  • You just need time to adjust to the new paradigm.

  • Near-synonyms: template, exemplar, archetype, poster child; see also Thesaurus:exemplar, Thesaurus:model

  • 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.

Synonyms

Quick test

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This new scientific theory provides a blank for understanding complex human behavior.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English paradygme, from Late Latin paradīgma, from Ancient Greek παράδειγμα (parádeigma, “pattern”), from παραδείκνυμι (paradeíknumi, “I show [beside] or compare”) + -μα (-ma, suffix forming nouns concerning the results of actions). Doublet of paradigma.