avant-garde

1 of 2

noun

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd How to pronounce avant-garde (audio)
ˌa-;
ə-ˈvänt-ˌgärd;
ˌa-ˌvōⁿ-ˈgärd
ˌa-ˌvȯn(t)-ˈgärd
Synonyms of avant-gardenext
: an intelligentsia that develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts
the avant-garde in the film industry
avant-gardism noun
avant-gardist noun

avant-garde

2 of 2

adjective

: 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
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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
Like Consani, Visser is leading the next generation of fashion and beauty changemakers, blending his red carpet makeup expertise with his avant-garde artistry. Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 Dec. 2025 Robb Report has curated a list spanning everything from dress options to sporty chonrographs to avant-garde creations. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avant-garde

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of avant-garde was in 1849

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avant-garde. Accessed 19 Dec. 2025.

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