avant-garde 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of avant-gardenext
as in progressive
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

avant-garde

2 of 2

noun

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd How to pronounce avant-garde (audio)
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of avant-garde
Adjective
The avant-garde legend is seen sitting in a kitchen alongside Martin Scorsese and Marc Jacobs — each one representing a component of music, fashion, and film. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026 Part of it was because Williams designed what his clients wanted rather than adhering to a strict aesthetic code, so he wasn’t considered an avant-garde architect. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 June 2026
Noun
Kusama was called pop, avant-garde, feminist, just to name some of the categories thrown at her, most of which Kusama brushed off as not quite representative of her art. — Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 In the late 1950s, Kusama moved to New York and thrived within the city's avant-garde scene. — Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
  1. progressive
  2. vanguard
  3. advanced
  4. underground
  5. unconventional
  6. pioneering
  7. avant
  8. modern
Adjective
  • Strommen has an Instagram feed with tributes to Charlie Kirk, but that didn’t prevent her from working closely with Gorman, who, while technically in a nonpartisan position, is married to Mark Spreitzer, a progressive Democratic state senator.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026
  • On Thursday, Nixon, a progressive, said criminal charges should be a possibility, despite the grand jury not recommending them.
    — Liv Caputo, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of progressive
Noun
  • The theater was squarely in the exhibition vanguard then, designed and equipped as a boutique-size 750-seat alternative to the massive Balaban & Katz auditoriums of the day.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Galliano represents the last of a vanguard of designers who developed cults of personalities.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of vanguard
Adjective
  • Goldman expects China’s advanced-node wafer supply to reach 410,000 wafers per month by 2035, compared with monthly demand of 619,000 wafers.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The display was set up by police, with authorities saying some of the bodies recovered from the floods were in an advanced state of decomposition, making physical identification difficult.
    — Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • Since the late 1990s, taxpayers have been funding a program to stash extra Colorado River water underground, with the idea that it could be used as a backup in times of shortage.
    — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • On Facebook, discussion groups foster the feeling of a countercultural underground.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • Munetaka Murakami made the quick decision to step on the bag and then throw to the plate, where catcher Drew Romo tagged out Trevor Larnach for an unconventional inning-ending double play.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • All the drama from last week’s showdown with the season-21 designers is resolved by season 22 winning the unconventional-materials challenge.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • Nancy Grace Roman, born in 1925, was a pioneering astronomer and the first chief of astronomy at NASA.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Below, Samia Halaby, another pioneering Palestinian painter, reflects on Mansour’s life and legacy.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of pioneering
Adjective
  • British avant-techno producer Actress has returned with his first new solo album in two years.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
  • Fifteen years have passed since Parts & Labor last released an album, and the Brooklyn avant-rock band has time on its mind.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 10 July 2026
Definition of avant
Adjective
  • Users reported problems with Outlook, while OpenAI said users may experience problems starting or continuing tasks in ChatGPT Work, temporarily disabling two of the modern office's favorite methods of assigning more work.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Drew This gender-neutral name is inspired by former Saints quarterback Drew Brees, considered one of the best signal-callers of the modern era.
    — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of modern

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Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on avant-garde

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about avant-garde

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