paradigm shift
Paradigm shift (noun) means 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. Example: “The move from Newtonian physics to relativity was a genuine paradigm shift.”
How to Use Paradigm shift
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA change so big that people have to rethink the whole way they saw something.
Formal in academic use; a cliché in corporate use. Plural: paradigm shifts.
If the old way still works fine alongside the new one, it is probably not a paradigm shift.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The move from Newtonian physics to relativity was a genuine _____.
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.
Synonyms
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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.