mid-century modern

noun

mid-cen·​tu·​ry modern ˈmid-ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)rē- 

variants or midcentury modern

: a style of design (as in architecture and furniture) of roughly the 1930s through the mid-1960s characterized especially by clean lines, organic and streamlined forms, and lack of embellishment

But now we seem to be in the mood for Mies [van der Rohe] again. … We can't seem to get enough mid-century modern in design, advertising and furniture …

—Cathleen McGuigan, Newsweek, 25 June 2001

—often used before another noun

Maureen went with mid-century modern Eames plastic chairs that stand up to wet swimming trunks and are also right at home on the deck.

—James Servin, Family Circle, June 2013

… the finest incarnation of mid-century modern American architecture. The developer employed teams of architects to design post-and-beam homes that featured floor-to-ceiling glass and, often, a central atrium, all of which brought light and views of trees and the hills beyond to small rooms.

—Scott Gummer, This Old House, July/August 2002

Word History

First Known Use

1953, in the meaning defined above

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Rhymes for mid-century modern

• postmodern
• premodern