as in classic
constituting, serving as, or worthy of being a pattern to be imitated
a paradigmatic essay in which the writer presents his point of view clearly and engagingly
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Recent Examples of paradigmatic
The Holocaust may be the paradigmatic genocide.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Will speaking characters into action be a novelty or a mainstay — a paradigmatic way of interacting with screens or just a passing diversion that will turn this deal cringe in short order?
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
The paradigmatic helicopter parent hovered from a distance and in most cases didn’t follow their child to college.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
The 1994 slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda became the paradigmatic example, prosecuted at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and recognized by the UN Security Council.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Though beloved by many straight men for the wrong reasons, the central character in American Psycho — a movie directed by a woman, written by a woman, and based on a novel written by a gay man — has always been paradigmatic of repressed same-sex desire.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Will speaking characters into action be a novelty or a mainstay — a paradigmatic way of interacting with screens or just a passing diversion that will turn this deal cringe in short order?
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Dec. 2025
The paradigmatic helicopter parent hovered from a distance and in most cases didn’t follow their child to college.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025
The 1994 slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda became the paradigmatic example, prosecuted at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and recognized by the UN Security Council.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
Though beloved by many straight men for the wrong reasons, the central character in American Psycho — a movie directed by a woman, written by a woman, and based on a novel written by a gay man — has always been paradigmatic of repressed same-sex desire.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paradigmatic
Adjective
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Based on the 1992 campy classic movie starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis and Isabella Rossellini, the stage musical bowed on Broadway in 2024.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Feb. 2026
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Right on cue, his news conference on Tuesday during Day 1 of the NFL Scouting Combine started with a classic DeCosta non-update when asked about contract negotiations with star quarterback Lamar Jackson.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
No, this was a nuts and bolts, go-to-the-net-front, exemplary redirection for the final goal — a record-breaking 15th goal and 33rd point, in fact — of Knight’s five-time Olympic career.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The way Robby is handling the increasingly complicated situation with hospice patient Roxie is also an exemplary display of his empathy.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As an archetypal centre-forward, Abraham ranks in the top 17 per cent of strikers from Europe’s top five leagues for touches in the opposition penalty area.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Agnifilo previously worked under archetypal celebrity defense lawyer Ben Brafman, whose clients have included accused Mafia bosses and Michael Jackson, and represented Shkreli and Dominique Strauss-Kahn alongside Brafman before starting his own firm.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And who better to get Olympics fanatics geared up for the upcoming 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles than quintessential California dreamer Kate Hudson?—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
23 Feb. 2026
-
More than a quarter century removed from its premiere, the seminal multi-Emmy-winning mobster drama The Sopranos remains a rewatch staple, with its quintessential commentary on class and the American dream.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Set the scene There’s a definitive vibe to Boudoir de Muses—one that’s romantic in an overt way, and unashamed of its provocative nature.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
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Gyourko and Glaeser don't offer definitive evidence for why many Sunbelt markets have begun to see lower rates of new housing development.—
Greg Rosalsky,
NPR,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There’s also bubbles (the champagne by the glass selection is excellent) and raclette cart service.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
-
The regular season is different from the playoffs, but surely Detroit is champing at the bit to get a rematch of last year’s excellent first-round matchup with the Knicks this postseason.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Trailblazers remained perfect in the postseason by beating visiting Corona Centennial 59-54 on Wednesday in the pool play in the CIF-SS Open Division playoffs.—
Justin Vigil Zuniga,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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There’s enormous relief in letting go of the facade of perfect containment or the need to perform goodness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The documents also include a model daily schedule from January 2026 that shows at least some of ICE's new recruits are receiving about half the training hours as previous cohorts, according to an analysis by Democratic staff with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
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In his Ocean Avenue apartment, Batchelor has a practice space and room for dozens of trumpets and his model-train set.—
Daniel Yadin,
Curbed,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paradigmatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradigmatic. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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