modernism

noun

mod·​ern·​ism ˈmä-dər-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce modernism (audio)
1
: a practice, usage, or expression peculiar to modern times
such modernisms as "blog," "bromance," and "steampunk"
2
often capitalized : a tendency in theology to accommodate traditional religious teaching to contemporary thought and especially to devalue supernatural elements
3
: modern artistic or literary philosophy and practice
especially : a self-conscious break with the past and a search for new forms of expression
extols the … modernism that laid the foundation of all twentieth-century design Jeffrey Simpson
modernist noun or adjective
modernistic adjective

Examples of modernism in a Sentence

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.
The home was built as an ode to the nature that surrounds it while creatively weaving modernism and style throughout the interior. Tj MacIas, Sacramento Bee, 4 Feb. 2025 The show traces the rise of modernism in Brazil, showing how Brazilian artists were adapting contemporary trends, international influences and artistic traditions to create a new type of art; art informed by the vibrant cultures, identities and landscapes of Brazil. Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 As a whole, the residences are described as a fusion of Mexican and Mediterranean modernism that lets the materiality do a lot of the speaking. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 7 Feb. 2025 But what Zhang, an artist and feminist activist, does with her story transforms it into a work of calmly bold modernism. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for modernism

Word History

First Known Use

1737, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of modernism was in 1737

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Cite this Entry

“Modernism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/modernism. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

modernism

noun
mod·​ern·​ism ˈmäd-ər-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce modernism (audio)
: a modern custom, expression, style, or idea
modernist noun or adjective
modernistic adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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