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

Example Sentences

Celine Raignault, deputy prosecutor in charge of minors and families, said "a paradigm shift" was needed.

From Barron's

Still, many are starting to feel a paradigm shift.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From The Wall Street Journal

We’ve heard this argument before: Mature quantum computers could lead to a paradigm shift, offering speed-ups in areas such as drug discovery and financial modeling.

From Barron's

In the six decades since, various parties in the Catholic Church have adopted that interpretation: Vatican II was a full embrace of the late-20th-century zeitgeist, a “paradigm shift” at which the church blessed social, cultural and political modernity and promised to be in “dialogue” with the humanistic spirit of the age.

From The Wall Street Journal