Paradigm

Paradigm: to show by the side of, to set up as an example; para` beside + ? to show. See {Para-}, and {Diction}.] [1913 Webster]

1. General Meaning:

   • An example; a model; a pattern.
   • "The paradigms and patterns of all things." --Cudworth.
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2. In Grammar (Gram.):

   • An example of a conjugation or declension, showing a word in all its different forms of inflection.
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3. In Rhetoric (Rhet.):

   • An illustration, as by a parable or fable.
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4. In Science:

   • A theory providing a unifying explanation for a set of phenomena in some field.
   • Serves to suggest methods to test the theory and develop a fuller understanding of the topic.
   • Considered useful until it is replaced by a newer theory providing more accurate explanations or explanations for a wider range of phenomena.
   • [PJC] Paradigmatic