Paradigm comes from Greek παράδειγμα (paradeigma); "pattern, example, sample"; from the verb παραδείκνυμι (paradeiknumi); "exhibit, represent, expose"; and that from παρά (para); "beside, beyond"; and δείκνυμι (deiknumi); "to show, to point out".

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a paradigm as "a pattern or model, an exemplar; a typical instance of something, an example". The historian of science Thomas Kuhn gave the word its contemporary meaning when he adopted …

In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn wrote that "the successive transition from one paradigm to another via revolution is the usual developmental pattern of mature science" (p. 12). Paradigm shifts tend to appear in …

Kuhn pointed out that it could be difficult to assess whether a particular paradigm shift had actually led to progress, in the sense of explaining more facts, explaining more important facts, or providing better explanations, because the understanding …