avant-garde

1 of 2

noun

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd 

ˌa-;

ə-ˈvänt-ˌgärd;

ˌa-ˌvōⁿ-ˈgärd, 

ˌa-ˌvȯn(t)-ˈgärd

: an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts

the avant-garde in the film industry

avant-gardism

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgär-ˌdi-zəm 

ˌa-

noun

avant-gardist

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgär-dist 

ˌa-

noun

avant-garde

2 of 2

adjective

: of or relating to an avant-garde

avant-garde writers

an avant-garde filmmaker

Synonyms of avant-garde

Noun

• vanguard
• underground

Adjective

• progressive
• advanced
• unconventional
• pioneering
• avant
• modern
• contemporary
• revolutionary
• underground

Examples of avant-garde in a Sentence

Noun

to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone

Adjective

a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Even more unusual, the artist was Lynda Benglis, better known for avant-garde sculpture and performance and video work. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Empire creator Lee Daniels, Capernaum director Nadine Labaki, and avant-garde artist Marina Abramovic will be honored at this year’s Venice Film Festival with the 2026 Liberatum Pioneer Awards. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The Little Review was an avant-garde literary magazine founded by Margaret Anderson in 1914 and published out of Chicago’s Fine Arts Building. — Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026

While the Kitchen had increasingly opened its doors to fusions of minimalism and rock music practiced by fellow downtown composers like Rhys Chatham, the avant-garde had not cottoned onto disco. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 27 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

French, vanguard

First Known Use

Noun

1849, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for avant-garde

• bodyguard
• boulevard
• disregard
• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard