avant-garde

1 of 2

noun

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd 

ˌa-;

ə-ˈvänt-ˌgärd;

ˌa-ˌvōⁿ-ˈgärd,

ˌa-ˌvȯn(t)-ˈgärd

: an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts

the avant-garde in the film industry

avant-gardism

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgär-ˌdi-zəm 

ˌa-

noun

avant-gardist

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgär-dist 

ˌa-

noun

avant-garde

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to an avant-garde

avant-garde writers

an avant-garde filmmaker

Synonyms

Noun

• cutting edge
• van
• vanguard

Adjective

• advanced
• avant
• cutting-edge
• progressive
• state-of-the-art

Examples of avant-garde in a Sentence

Noun

to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone

Adjective

a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

While there are a few traditional names on these lists, like Luke, Natasha, and Jordan, most of these names are a bit more avant-garde. —Christin Perry, Parents, 25 Oct. 2024

Born in Berkeley, California in 1940, Lesh grew up as a trumpet player and appreciator of avant-garde classical and free jazz. —Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Since the house’s inception, in 1988, Margiela had been known for an avant-garde mentality, paired with classical technique. —Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023

Instead of showing up in something avant-garde, Dakota drew attention with a black halter-style midi dress with a deep V-neckline. —Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 18 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

French, vanguard

First Known Use

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1925, in the meaning defined above