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
: of or relating to an avant-garde
avant-garde writers
an avant-garde filmmaker
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
Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Also inspired by gaming and the avant-garde, its first launch is the Nebubalm, which comes in two futuristic, multichromatic hues: Halcyon, a mauve tone with turquoise shimmer, and Nymphaea, a magenta flecked with pink and lilac glitter.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 6 Dec. 2025
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Aidy and Bowen portray avant-garde fashion trend forecasters who have big visions for the holiday season.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
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Noun
Shepard would astonishingly make his mark as an avant-garde playwright on the downtown scene with only a few months of networking and no production to his name.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Also inspired by gaming and the avant-garde, its first launch is the Nebubalm, which comes in two futuristic, multichromatic hues: Halcyon, a mauve tone with turquoise shimmer, and Nymphaea, a magenta flecked with pink and lilac glitter.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 6 Dec. 2025
Adjective
For Frankenthaler, as for much of the postwar American avant-garde, form, not content, did the talking.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Aidy and Bowen portray avant-garde fashion trend forecasters who have big visions for the holiday season.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avant-garde. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.
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