minimalism

noun

min·​i·​mal·​ism ˈmi-nə-mə-ˌli-zəm 

1

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

2

: minimal art

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

This language can also, suddenly, drop several octaves into minimalism. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026

Despite the minimalism and lack of physical controls, the EX30 interior isn’t a bad place to be—Volvo’s interior designers tend to understand the assignment well, and the textures and materials are pleasant to the touch. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026

Love planet Venus will also slip into meticulous Virgo on July 9, adding an air of minimalism and practicality to relationship dynamics, money matters and our personal values. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

What Simplification Actually Means Simplification is not minimalism. — Anatoly Iofe, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for minimalism

• activism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism
• calvinism