noun

paradigm

PAIR-uh-dyme/ˈpærədaɪm/

A model or pattern used to understand or produce something.

The completed arch serves as a paradigm for the matching constructions.

A completed tabletop block arch serves as the exemplar for several matching arches, with an unfinished copy making the shared construction pattern visible.

Etymology

The roots mean “show beside,” giving the idea of an example or model. That model sense later expanded to a conceptual framework that structures thought within a field.

In context

TED0:41

I'd also like to talk to you about palliative medicine: a paradigm of care for this population, grounded in what they value.

What we can do to die well | Timothy Ihrig

More examples

New evidence can force scientists to question an established paradigm.
The textbook lists verb forms in a simple paradigm.
These schools offer different paradigms for teaching children to read.

Forms

paradigm · paradigms

paradigmatic adjective — Serving as a model or pattern.

Similar words

model: Model often describes a specific example to copy or study.
framework: Framework emphasizes the organized structure underlying ideas or activities.
pattern: Pattern emphasizes a recurring arrangement rather than a guiding theory.