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Noun: paradigm  'per-u,dIm [N. Amer], 'pa-ru,dIm [Brit]
  1. The generally accepted perspective of a particular discipline at a given time
    "he framed the problem within the psychoanalytic paradigm"
     
  2. Systematic arrangement of all the inflected forms of a word
     
  3. A standard, typical or perfect example
    "he is the paradigm of good breeding";
    - prototype, epitome, image
     
  4. The class of all items that can be substituted into the same position (or slot) in a grammatical sentence (are in paradigmatic relation with one another)
    - substitution class

Derived forms: paradigms

Type of: category, class, example, family, inflection, inflexion [Brit], model, perspective, position, view

Encyclopedia: Paradigm