avant

adjective

ˈä-ˌvän(t) How to pronounce avant (audio)
ˈa-
-ˌvȯn(t)
-ˌvōⁿ
Synonyms of avantnext
: culturally or stylistically advanced : avant-garde
avant jazz

Examples of avant in a Sentence

readers of this very avant novel should not expect to find much in the way of traditional narrative structure
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.
Today’s avant-gardistes are opening new addresses along rue Jean de La Fontaine, Auteuil’s main thoroughfare, that are helping reinvigorate the village while keeping its history and tradition close. Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026 For electronic music that is just as awe-inducing, there’s the ambient-pop artist Laurel Halo (Pioneer Works; June 25), the eclectic avant-rap producer Flying Lotus, playing with a live band (Blue Note; July 8-9), and the psychedelic composer Dan Deacon (Pioneer Works; July 31). Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 May 2026 Paying tribute to a South Carolina town destroyed in the 1950s for a nuclear materials plant, the Durham avant-folk trio's disquieting new album is both a community service and a spiritual offering. Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 22 May 2026 Cabin in the Sky, for its part, evokes artistry beyond the genre, like Stereolab’s Margarine Eclipse, where the Chicago avant-pop band struggled to process the loss of longtime member Mary Hansen. Mosi Reeves, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avant

Word History

Etymology

French avant- fore-, front, from avant before, from Latin abante

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of avant was in 1965

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Cite this Entry

“Avant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avant. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

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