Paradigm
Paradigm , noun
[French paradigme, Latin paradigma, from Greek {not transcribed}, from {not transcribed} to show by the side of, to set up as an example; para` beside + {not transcribed} to show. See Para-, and Diction.]
1.
An example; a model; a pattern. [Rare]
The paradigms and patterns of all things.
2.
(Grammar) An example of a conjugation or declension, showing a word in all its different forms of inflection.
3.
(Rhetoric) An illustration, as by a parable or fable.
4.
(Science) A theory providing a unifying explanation for a set of phenomena in some field, which serves to suggest methods to test the theory and develop a fuller understanding of the topic, and which is considered useful until it is be replaced by a newer theory providing more accurate explanations or explanations for a wider range of phenomena.