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
Active in avant-garde music on the European music scene, Bertelmann frequently employs prepared piano and electronics. — Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023 The nude, floor-length frock hinted at old Hollywood, perhaps a nod to mom Janet Leigh, but with the avant-garde touch of exterior boning in the corset. — Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023
Noun
No look has to be permanent, and with 2025’s most popular looks leaning into avant-garde classics, taking your hair to a new height is this season’s most palpable trends. — India Espy-Jones, Essence, 9 Apr. 2025 Serpenti Aeterna reveals a new jeweled, avant-garde take on the Maison’s iconic reptile. — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2025 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. avant
  7. modern
  8. contemporary
Adjective
  • Alon-Lee Green, the founding co-director of Standing Together, a progressive grassroots movement, told CNN that young people aren’t at fault for the extremist attitudes that are dividing wider Israeli society.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • California voters further reversed progressive policies by passing Proposition 36, which enhances penalties for theft and drug offenses.
    — Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of progressive
Noun
  • Other major award winners at the ceremony included Glen Powell, who won star of the year, as well as Ana de Armas, who won action star of the year and Lindsay Lohan, who won the event's vanguard award.
    — Tommy McArdle, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Gerwig, at age 41, represents film culture’s new feminist vanguard; her renown is an extension of the media celebration that established the international activism of Thunberg, now 22.
    — Armond White, National Review, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of vanguard
Adjective
  • The next era focuses on cracking the code for personalization, advanced marketing assets, and empathetic conversational AI. Computational Medicine.
    — Maribel Lopez, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • David Ornstein reports that talks to prolong Lionel Messi’s stint at Inter Miami beyond the expiry of his current contract in December are at an advanced stage.
    — Ali Rampling, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • The city this month began drilling at Del Prado Park, the first of several sites being explored to find safe, potable water underground.
    — Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2025
  • In the ever-evolving cyber underground, ransomware extortionists have grown to become perhaps the most sophisticated and formidable threat.
    — Etay Maor, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • The mill embraces the beauty of imperfection and asymmetry in Chaos Aesthetics, a trend concept that favors expressive textures, unconventional finishes and rich tactile experiences.
    — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The generational gap in honesty found in the survey comes amid a broader trend of unconventional job-search behaviors among younger candidates, including ghosting employers and abandoning the hiring process midway.
    — Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • The collection Olsen’s gown hails from was rife with avant, flowing takes on bows, whether at the shoulders of pastel dresses or at the hips of drop waist dresses or tailored jackets.
    — Marissa Muller, WWD, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The gentle, squishy textures of those loops, along with the work of avant jazz harp player Zeena Parkins, make for the strangely appropriate sonic backdrop of some of Björk’s most intimate and erotic songs.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2025
Definition of avant
Adjective
  • The curved, low-profile silhouette creates a modern spin on the otherwise classic design, while the chair’s high-density foam filling offers superior support.
    — Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Colin from Accounts is a romantic comedy about flawed, funny people choosing each other and embracing the all-too-relatable chaos of modern life.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of modern
Adjective
  • But contemporary critics such as Arthur Kropp, the president in 1991 of the progressive advocacy group People for the American Way, did see the dustup as a portent way back then.
    — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Photo: Dominique Ricci While Quinta da Comporta offers a serene and nature-centric retreat, Sublime Comporta brings a more upscale, contemporary experience to the region.
    — Monica Mendal, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of contemporary

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avant-garde
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Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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