paradigm shift

4 synonyms for paradigm shift, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A fundamental change in the basic assumptions a field works from, so that old questions, methods and evidence are reinterpreted rather than merely added to. It is the difference between refining a theory and replacing the framework the theory sat in.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

revolution

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

sea change fundamental rethink sea change in thinking

How to use paradigm shift

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a genuine paradigm shift represent a paradigm shift paradigm shift in thinking trigger a paradigm shift

Formal in academic use; a cliché in corporate use. Plural: paradigm shifts.

Etymology

Paradigm comes via Latin from Greek paradeigma, meaning pattern or example. The phrase is associated with the philosophy of science, where paradigm means the whole framework of assumptions a scientific community works within.

Full origin of paradigm shift →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a paradigm shift and an innovation?

An innovation is a new thing built inside the existing way of understanding the world. A paradigm shift changes that understanding itself, so the old questions no longer make sense in the same terms. A faster engine is an innovation; realising the engine is the wrong approach entirely is a paradigm shift.

Is paradigm shift overused?

Badly. In business writing it is routinely applied to ordinary product updates and reorganisations. Reserve it for changes that genuinely make people rethink their assumptions, or reach for a plainer phrase instead.

How do you pronounce paradigm?

The g is silent: PA-ruh-dyme. The related word paradigmatic, however, does sound the g: pa-ruh-dig-MAT-ic.

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Nearby words

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