Dadaism

noun

Da·​da·​ism ˈdä-(ˌ)dä-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce Dadaism (audio)
variants or less commonly dadaism
: dada:
a
: a movement in art and literature based on deliberate irrationality and negation of traditional artistic values
… artists of the day who were influenced by contemporary European art movements like Dadaism and Futurism …E. J. Montini
b
: the art and literature produced by this movement
… comes up with an entertainingly imbecilic musical comedy—a piece of pop Dadaism.Pauline Kael
dadaist noun or adjective often capitalized
dadaistic adjective often capitalized

Examples of Dadaism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Glaser's works include a poster for the Ambler Music Festival, an advertisement for the Valentine typewriter sold by Olivetti, and a poster for an exhibition on dadaism and surrealism. Washington Post Staff, Washington Post, 30 May 2018 Deadpool, more than any other Marvel Comics hero, huffs the fumes of plot dadaism, which fits Wilson's eff-the-world attitude to a tee. Sam MacHkovech, Ars Technica, 17 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Dadaism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French dadaïsme

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Dadaism was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near Dadaism

Cite this Entry

“Dadaism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dadaism. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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