par ‧ a ‧ digm AC /ˈpærədaɪm/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ paradigm ; adverb : ↑ paradigmatically ; adjective : ↑ paradigmatic ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Late Latin ; Origin: paradigma , from Greek paradeigma , from paradeiknynai 'to show side by side' ]
1 . technical a model or example that shows how something works or is produced
paradigm of
the basic paradigm of the family tree
2 . formal a very clear or typical example of something
paradigm of
Pius XII remained the paradigm of what a pope should be.
—paradigmatic /ˌpærədɪɡˈmætɪk◂/ adjective
—paradigmatically /-kli/ adverb