Paradigm shift
Example: The industrial revolution marked a major paradigm shift in society.
Definition
"Paradigm shift" refers to a fundamental change in the underlying assumptions, concepts, or practices within a particular field or society. It often marks a significant transformation in how people understand and approach a subject, such as the major changes seen during the industrial revolution.
Etymology
The term "paradigm shift" was popularized by philosopher Thomas Kuhn in his 1962 book 'The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.' It combines 'paradigm,' meaning a typical example or model, originally from Greek 'paradeigma,' and 'shift,' indicating a change. Did you know? Kuhn's concept revolutionized how we view scientific progress by highlighting these dramatic changes.
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"Paradigm shift" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - History - (C2) - set 1", containing 212 commonly used words.
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