paradigm shift
Americannoun
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a dramatic change in the paradigm of a scientific community, or a change from one scientific paradigm to another.
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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.
noun
Etymology
Origin of paradigm shift
First recorded in 1970–75
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
He added that Apple is “at a crossroads again as we are having a paradigm shift on what its role is going to be in AI.”
From Barron's ● Mar. 31, 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
What’s needed is a pragmatic and courageous paradigm shift, one that begins with naming and recognizing the contemporary libels used to demonize Jews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
You could see he was enjoying the paradigm shift.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
