new wave

noun

variants often New Wave

1

: a cinematic movement that is characterized by improvisation, abstraction, and subjective symbolism and that often makes use of experimental photographic techniques

2

: a new movement in a particular field

3

: popular music less raw than punk rock and typically including unconventional melodies, exaggerated beats, and quirky lyrics

4

: dernier cri

especially : fashion that is strikingly outrageous

new-wave

ˈnü-ˈwāv 

ˈnyü-, 

-ˌwāv

adjective

new waver

ˈnü-ˈwā-vər 

ˈnyü-

noun

Examples of new wave in a Sentence

people who listened to punk, New Wave, or disco

Recent Examples on the Web

The Dow Jones Industrial Average entered correction territory Friday after five straight weeks of losses, as investors worry the Iran war could lead to a long-term disruption of Persian Gulf energy supplies and fuel a new wave of global inflation. —CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

Demand is being driven by a new wave of buyers, who are splashing out on travel and experiences rather than the more traditional assets. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2026

Still, some researchers also faced this new wave of formalization with trepidation. —Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026

Smoke rise after powerful explosions as the Israeli army announced a new wave of attacks on Tehran, the capital of Iran, on March 21, 2026. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for new wave

• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• shortwave
• aftershave