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
avant-gard·ist
(¦)ä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgär-ˌdist
¦a-,
ə-ˈvänt-ˌgär-;
¦a-ˌvōⁿ-ˈgär-,
¦a-ˌvȯn(t)-
variants
or less commonly avant-gardiste
(¦)ä-ˌvän(t)-ˌgär-ˈdēst,
¦a-,
ə-ˈvänt-ˌgär-;
¦a-ˌvōⁿ-ˌgär-,
¦a-ˌvȯn(t)-
plural -s
: a member of the avant-garde
Examples of avant-garde in a Sentence
Noun (1)
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
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
This Jacques Azagury ice-blue minidress, for example, was one of the most avant-garde gowns of her life.
—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
2 July 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
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Noun
An underground masterpiece When acclaimed avant-garde filmmaker Ken Jacobs died last year at age 92, the world lost one of its most singular voices.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
This Jacques Azagury ice-blue minidress, for example, was one of the most avant-garde gowns of her life.
—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
2 July 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
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 6 Jul. 2026.
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