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
Synonyms
Examples of avant-garde in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
This avant-garde approach to making it in the art world isn’t without precedent.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Read: Trump’s plan to police gender As the Vietnam War began, Darling made her way into off-Broadway productions and quickly fell in with an avant-garde crowd commandeered by Warhol.
—Mayukh Sen, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2024
The model marked a new era for the brand, merging two design languages: one honoring the traditions of watchmaking and one avant-garde and futuristic.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
While the rock band Gogol Bordello ran through its set, Rogers, Baez, and the avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson danced wildly on the side of the stage.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
When the musician Laurie Anderson was beginning her career in the early 1970s, an avant-garde artist who wanted to work at scale had to go abroad — to one place in particular.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
At the 11-minute mark, Hancock jumped from avant-garde synth stabs to elegant, note cascading runs on the baby grand.
—Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
But with its avant-garde silhouette, the dress (which retails for $7,400 on Net-a-Porter’s website) caused some behind-the-scenes difficulty.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023
Instead of showing up in something avant-garde, Dakota drew attention with a black halter-style midi dress with a deep V-neckline.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 18 Mar. 2023
One constant, however, is that her avant-garde ensembles are always about the art of juxtaposition.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2023
By Richard Quinn British fashion designer Richard Quinn is known for his avant-garde creations and bold use of color, so a collaboration with MAC made a whole lot of sense.
—Lisa Desantis, Allure, 14 Mar. 2023
Active in avant-garde music on the European music scene, Bertelmann frequently employs prepared piano and electronics.
—Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
The nude, floor-length frock hinted at old Hollywood, perhaps a nod to mom Janet Leigh, but with the avant-garde touch of exterior boning in the corset.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023
Mary Bauermeister, a German artist who played a signature role in the development of the freewheeling performance art of the 1960s avant-garde, died on March 2 at a hospice in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
—Will Heinrich, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2023
In a city that likes to think of itself as edgy, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has hardly been in the avant-garde.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2023
Noun
Keith Emerson stabbed his Hammond for the freakiest avant-garde dissonance.
—Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
This avant-garde approach to making it in the art world isn’t without precedent.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Read: Trump’s plan to police gender As the Vietnam War began, Darling made her way into off-Broadway productions and quickly fell in with an avant-garde crowd commandeered by Warhol.
—Mayukh Sen, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2024
The model marked a new era for the brand, merging two design languages: one honoring the traditions of watchmaking and one avant-garde and futuristic.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2024
While the rock band Gogol Bordello ran through its set, Rogers, Baez, and the avant-garde musician Laurie Anderson danced wildly on the side of the stage.
—Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024
When the musician Laurie Anderson was beginning her career in the early 1970s, an avant-garde artist who wanted to work at scale had to go abroad — to one place in particular.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
At the 11-minute mark, Hancock jumped from avant-garde synth stabs to elegant, note cascading runs on the baby grand.
—Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
But with its avant-garde silhouette, the dress (which retails for $7,400 on Net-a-Porter’s website) caused some behind-the-scenes difficulty.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Since the house’s inception, in 1988, Margiela had been known for an avant-garde mentality, paired with classical technique.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2023
Instead of showing up in something avant-garde, Dakota drew attention with a black halter-style midi dress with a deep V-neckline.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 18 Mar. 2023
One constant, however, is that her avant-garde ensembles are always about the art of juxtaposition.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2023
By Richard Quinn British fashion designer Richard Quinn is known for his avant-garde creations and bold use of color, so a collaboration with MAC made a whole lot of sense.
—Lisa Desantis, Allure, 14 Mar. 2023
Active in avant-garde music on the European music scene, Bertelmann frequently employs prepared piano and electronics.
—Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
The nude, floor-length frock hinted at old Hollywood, perhaps a nod to mom Janet Leigh, but with the avant-garde touch of exterior boning in the corset.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023
Mary Bauermeister, a German artist who played a signature role in the development of the freewheeling performance art of the 1960s avant-garde, died on March 2 at a hospice in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany.
—Will Heinrich, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2023
In a city that likes to think of itself as edgy, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra has hardly been in the avant-garde.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 10 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'avant-garde.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
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“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avant-garde. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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