minimalism
noun
Did you know?
In the 1960s, a few composers, including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams, began writing music inspired by the music of India and Southeast Asia, often with a quick pulsing beat and chords that are repeated quickly over and over while small changes are slowly introduced. Minimalist art, which began appearing around the same time, tries to strip away all personal elements, often leaving only pure geometric forms; you may have seen the plain silver boxes of Donald Judd, or the straight neon tubes of Bruce Nauman. In literature, the stripped-down fiction of Samuel Beckett and Raymond Carver is often considered minimalist. But there's a real question whether these various types of minimalism should even be considered the same concept.
Examples of minimalism in a Sentence
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
In line with the tenets of the revolutionary art school founded in 1919 in Germany, the team at Shapes created a bar where form follows function, with drinks based around functional minimalism, radical simplicity, and the unification of technology, art, and craft.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 May 2025
Golden warmth and thoughtful minimalism mark Jacquemus’ newest boutique is West Hollywood, reminiscent of the south of France and the brand’s Paris headquarters.
—Alia Yee Noll, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
The notion of quality over quantity is also paramount when working toward minimalism.
—Ana Morales, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minimalism
Cite this Entry
“Minimalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimalism. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share