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

Even better, this new wave of the maxi is less about aesthetic excellence and more about ease. — Ruhama Wolle, Glamour, 19 July 2026

This new wave is fueled by the tens of billions of dollars in new funding the agency received from a Congress that has failed to impose any restraints on ICE. — Kica Matos, Time, 17 July 2026

The polluted air will last through at least Saturday in some areas as new waves of smoke waft south. — Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

While Kalshi and Polymarket dominate the space, a new wave of startups is clamoring to carve out a place in one of the buzziest new sectors in finance. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 16 July 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