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

The 2026 Met Gala is here, and PEOPLE will be on the red carpet as all the stars arrive to show off an array of exciting designer looks — from the avant-garde to the nearly nude. —Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 4 May 2026

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic/Getty The 2017 event paid tribute to Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo and her Comme des Garçons avant-garde designs that play with the body's shape and form. —Luis Giraldo, CBS News, 4 May 2026

Adjective

Yoshimasu is better known as a poet who first emerged in the avant-garde scene of 1960s Tokyo. —Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 12 May 2026

Anything avant-garde could induce a migraine. —Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 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