paradigm shift

American  

[par-uh-dahym shift] / ˈpær ə daɪm ˌʃɪft /

noun

1. a dramatic change in the paradigm of a scientific community, or a change from one scientific paradigm to another.

2. a significant change in the paradigm of any discipline or group.

   Putting skilled, tenured teachers in failing schools would cause a paradigm shift in teaching and education.

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paradigm shift British  

noun

1. a radical change in underlying beliefs or theory

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Etymology

Origin of paradigm shift

First recorded in 1970–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paradigm shift

"For the micro-robotics community, I hope this paper signals a paradigm shift by showing that we can develop a new control architecture that is high-performing and efficient at the same time," says Chen.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

She’s not the only woman calling for one; doctors, researchers, and advocates regularly use this term to describe the paradigm shift necessary to ensure fewer women suffer.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

If the climber is found guilty it could mean "a paradigm shift for mountain sports", says Austria's Der Standard newspaper.

From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026

“That’s been a total paradigm shift in how the U.S. looks at these things,” said Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

You could see he was enjoying the paradigm shift.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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