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
After all, in the early days of literacy, reading—now perhaps the paradigmatic example of a non-screen-time activity—was considered ominous; people reading silently to themselves might have seemed demented.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 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
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 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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For those who dislike pasta salad because of all the extra fixings that come with it, look no further than Laurel Market’s simple yet delicious take on the classic side.—
Sofia DiStefano,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Oct. 2025
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The collared neckline lends the classic sweater a vintage-meets-modern appeal, while its structured shape adds a refined edge without compromising comfort.—
Nicol Natale,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Smokers with fast and slow fan speeds are exemplary since a rapid speed is useful for igniting the wood chips, and a slow speed is ideal for the actual smoking process.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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All of them are exemplary for different reasons, but this fall Cellarius feels apropos.—
Michael Stefanov,
Robb Report,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The archetypal climbers were young men without families to feed or full-time jobs to hold down, free to devote their waking hours to becoming one with the rock.—
Kelli María Korducki,
HubSpot,
17 Oct. 2025
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But Pynchon is also funny, and the disorientation of his novels gives ways to discovery, and un-tangling, and the characters have goofy names that allude to their archetypal nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The hue exudes quiet luxury while remaining a quintessential fall color.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
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But beyond these quintessential Mexican comforts sits the inventive, nuanced fare from La Dama, a party-with-polish treasure inspired by chef-owner Emmanuel Corona's upbringing in the country’s southern and central regions.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There is no deadline or definitive timetable set for completion of the strategic alternatives review process.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
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Appearing Wednesday evening on NewsNation, Homan was more definitive.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The 26-year-old was caught offside no fewer than eight times during a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona back in November, many of which after inch-perfect movement from Pau Cubarsi to step up and leave the centre-forward marginally ahead of the defensive line.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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None of our systems is perfect—neither corporate media nor media owned by a single wealthy individual.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This is where the Greenpoint comes from, an excellent neo-classic riff on a Manhattan that was invented at Milk & Honey in New York, and comprises the classic build of Manhattan—rye, sweet vermouth, and bitters—into which has been spliced the inimitable French herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Jayhawks did an excellent job of getting back in transition, limiting Louisville’s fast-break opportunities.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Legion’s strategy is to stay model-agnostic and focus on secure, interoperable agentic workflows that span multiple systems.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement The most valuable work will come from your ability to conduct a multi-agent, multi-model workflow, synthesizing the outputs of specialized tools into a cohesive and superior whole.—
Marco Argenti,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paradigmatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paradigmatic. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.
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