new wave

noun

often capitalized N&W
1
: a cinematic movement that is characterized by improvisation, abstraction, and subjective symbolism and that often makes use of experimental photographic techniques
2
: a new movement in a particular field
3
: popular music less raw than punk rock and typically including unconventional melodies, exaggerated beats, and quirky lyrics
4
: dernier cri
especially : fashion that is strikingly outrageous
new-wave
ˈnü-ˈwāv How to pronounce new wave (audio)
ˈnyü-
-ˌwāv
adjective
new waver noun

Examples of new wave in a Sentence

people who listened to punk, New Wave, or disco
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With such a strong stateside showing for their first outing, JO1 can hopefully keep the momentum going in 2025 and beyond to help usher in an exciting new wave of Japanese-pop acts impacting the global market with an edge and passion unique to them. Jeff Benjamin, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 Watch a new wave of contestants audition for American Idol when the series premieres tonight at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and streams next day on Hulu. EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025 With the exception of 1980’s Drama – a giddy experiment in proggy new wave – the band’s remaining LPs to date sound like the remains of a shipwreck: a futile attempt to salvage bits and pieces from the old days. Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025 So last fall, when Kurt Soller, an editor at T: The New York Times Style Magazine, called to talk about a new wave of female singer-songwriters reshaping the R&B scene, Mr. Bradley had a lot to say. Vivian Ewing, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for new wave

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of new wave was in 1960

Cite this Entry

“New wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20wave. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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