1
: a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity
2

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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

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Instead, the Autry Medalist comes with a simple shape, a sole in off-white, and a look that’s somewhere between the tennis courts of the ’80s and modern minimalism. Lina-Marie Baatz, Glamour, 21 Apr. 2025 How to become a minimalist Ironically enough, there are many roads that lead to minimalism, from clever hacks to daily mantras. Ana Morales, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2025 At Miyakojima, the Japanese design penchant for minimalism fosters a pleasant stillness. Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025 Results obviously vary, but one truth of the trend emerges: In both its purer and its more affected forms, directorial minimalism forces an audience to listen to a play. Sara Holdren, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for minimalism

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of minimalism was in 1927

Cite this Entry

“Minimalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimalism. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.

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