paradigm - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

A paradigm is a standard, perspective, or set of ideas. A paradigm is a way of looking at something.

A paradigm is a new way of looking or thinking about something is needed. This word comes up a lot in the academic, scientific, and business worlds. A new paradigm in business could mean a new way of reaching customers and making money. In education, relaying on lectures is a paradigm: if you suddenly shifted to all group work, that would be a new paradigm. When you change paradigms, you're changing how you think about something.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: paradigm

1	n	a standard or typical example
2	n	systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word
3	n	the class of all items that can be substituted into the same position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in paradigmatic relation with one another)

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: paradigm

1

n a standard or typical example

Synonyms:: epitome, image, prototype

Types:: concentrate
a concentrated example of something; imago
(psychoanalysis) an idealized image of someone (usually a parent) formed in childhood

Type of:: example, model
a representative form or pattern

n the generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline at a given time

“he framed the problem within the psychoanalytic paradigm”

Type of:: perspective, position, view
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.

2

n systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word

Type of:: inflection, inflexion
a change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function

3

n the class of all items that can be substituted into the same position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in paradigmatic relation with one another)

Synonyms:: substitution class

Type of:: category, class, family
a collection of things sharing a common attribute