Standard Lemma guide

paradigm

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/
  • US: păr′ədīm
  • /ˈpæɹ.ə.daɪm/ without the Mary–marry–merry merger
  • /ˈpɛɹ.ə.daɪm/ Mary–marry–merry merger
  • [ˈpɛɹ.daɪm] Mary–marry–merry merger
  • /ˈpeɪ.ɹə.daɪm/ Mary–marry–merry merger
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈpæɹ.ə.dɑem/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /ˈpɛɹ.ə.daɪm/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈpɛɹ.ə.dɑe̯m]
  • CMU ARPABET: P EH1 R AH0 D AY2 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: style, model, worldview
  • 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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: style, model, worldview

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: template, exemplar, archetype, poster child, byspel, case, case in point, embodiment, epitome, eponym, exemplification, example, exemplificator, Exhibit A, illustration, incarnation, instance, paradigm, prototype, quintessence, representative, sample, specimen, symbol, ur-type, icon, model, paragon, pattern

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • The paradigm of "to sing" is "sing, sang, sung". The verb "to ring" follows the same paradigm.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: paradigma

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a standard or typical example

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is the prototype of good breeding
  • he provided America with an image of the good father

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prototype, epitome, image

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: model, example

Narrower terms: concentrate, imago

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he framed the problem within the psychoanalytic paradigm

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: position, view, perspective

6

noun

Meaning 6

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)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: substitution class

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: class, category, family

7

noun

Meaning 7

systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inflection, inflexion

History

Etymology

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.

Across languages

Translations

118 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Arabic: نَمَط (namaṭ) — way of viewing reality
  • Armenian: հարացույց (haracʻuycʻ) — way of viewing reality
  • Catalan: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Chinese Mandarin: 範式 /范式 (fànshì) — way of viewing reality
  • Chinese Mandarin: 範例 /范例 (fànlì) — way of viewing reality
  • Czech: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Czech: pojetí — way of viewing reality
  • Danish: paradigme — way of viewing reality
  • Dutch: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Dutch: denkkader — way of viewing reality
  • Finnish: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Finnish: maailmankatsomus — way of viewing reality
  • French: paradigme — way of viewing reality
  • German: Paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • German: Weltanschauung — way of viewing reality
  • German: Bezugssystem — way of viewing reality
  • German: Sicht der Dinge — way of viewing reality
  • German: Denkrahmen — way of viewing reality
  • Greek: κοσμοθεωρία (kosmotheoría) — way of viewing reality
  • Iban: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Icelandic: hugarfar — way of viewing reality
  • Indonesian: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Italian: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Kazakh: парадигма (paradigma) — way of viewing reality
  • Korean: 범례 (beomnye) — way of viewing reality
  • Kyrgyz: парадигма (paradigma) — way of viewing reality
  • Macedonian: паради́гма (paradígma) — way of viewing reality
  • Malay: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Norwegian Bokmål: paradigme — way of viewing reality
  • Norwegian Bokmål: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: paradigme — way of viewing reality
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Pannonian Rusyn: парадиґма (paradigma) — way of viewing reality
  • Polish: paradygmat — way of viewing reality
  • Portuguese: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Romanian: paradigmă — way of viewing reality
  • Russian: паради́гма (paradígma) — way of viewing reality
  • Slovak: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Spanish: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Swedish: paradigm — way of viewing reality
  • Turkish: paradigma — way of viewing reality
  • Afrikaans: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Arabic: نُمُوذَج (numūḏaj) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Arabic: مِثَال (miṯāl) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Arabic: آيَة (ʔāya) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Armenian: հարացույց (haracʻuycʻ) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Bulgarian: образец (obrazec) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Bulgarian: пример (primer) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Catalan: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Chinese Mandarin: 範例 /范例 (fànlì) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Chinese Mandarin: 模範 /模范 (mófàn) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Chinese Mandarin: 典範 /典范 (diǎnfàn) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Czech: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Dutch: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Finnish: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Finnish: ajatusmalli — example serving as a model or pattern
  • French: paradigme — example serving as a model or pattern
  • German: Beispiel — example serving as a model or pattern
  • German: Musterbeispiel — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Hebrew: פָּרָדִיגְמָה (paradigma) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Iban: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Icelandic: fyrirmynd — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Icelandic: viðmið — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Indonesian: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Italian: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Japanese: 模範 (mohan) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Korean: 범례 (beomnye) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Macedonian: паради́гма (paradígma) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Malay: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Pannonian Rusyn: парадиґма (paradigma) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Pannonian Rusyn: приклад (priklad) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Polish: paradygmat — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Portuguese: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Romanian: paradigmă — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Russian: паради́гма (paradígma) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Russian: образе́ц (obrazéc) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Russian: приме́р (primér) — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Spanish: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Turkish: paradigma — example serving as a model or pattern
  • Afrikaans: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Albanian: paradigmë — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Arabic: قِيَاس — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Armenian: հարացույց (haracʻuycʻ) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Bulgarian: парадигма (paradigma) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Catalan: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Chinese Mandarin: 詞形變化表 /词形变化表 (cíxíng biànhuàbiǎo) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Czech: vzor — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Danish: paradigme — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Dutch: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Faroese: bendingarmynstur — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Finnish: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Finnish: taivutuskaava — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Finnish: muotosarja — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • French: paradigme — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Georgian: პარადიგმა (ṗaradigma) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • German: Paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • German: Flexionsmuster — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • German: Flexionsschema — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Greek: παράδειγμα (parádeigma) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Ancient Greek: παράδειγμα (parádeigma) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Iban: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Icelandic: beygingardæmi — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Indonesian: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Italian: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Japanese: 語形変化表 (gokei henkahyō) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Korean: 어형 변화표 (eohyeong byeonhwapyo) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Malay: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Norwegian Bokmål: paradigme — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Norwegian Bokmål: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: paradigme — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Polish: paradygmat — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Portuguese: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Russian: паради́гма (paradígma) — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Slovak: vzor — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Spanish: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element
  • Turkish: paradigma — linguistics: all forms which contain a common element