paradigm shift

American

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

noun

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

paradigm shift British

noun

a radical change in underlying beliefs or theory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

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

But a paradigm shift is afoot in Europe’s largest nation, and Washington should take note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025

"This is a paradigm shift," says Donn Van Deren, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania who carried out the work while at University of Utah Health.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

"We have considerably tightened our immigration policy. We can probably even talk about a paradigm shift in this regard," Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told AFP.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

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