minimalism

noun min·i·mal·ism \ ˈmi-nə-mə-ˌli-zəm \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Definition of minimalism

1 : a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity

2 : minimal art

Recent Examples of minimalism from the Web

Beneath the cool minimalism roils maximalist outrage — the horror of being captive to not only your body but to society, .

— parul sehgal, New York Times, "A Darkly Comic Novel Stares Down a Life of Solitude," 22 May 2018
With simple forms such as rectangular boxes stacked one atop the other and interspersed with precise amounts of empty space, Judd could induce the viewer into a meditation on minimalism.

— siobhan morrissey, miamiherald, "These paintings are rarely shown. You can see them in Miami's Design District. | Miami Herald," 17 May 2018
The Sarah Chloe look, with its architectural minimalism featuring geometric shapes and clean lines, translated well to the collaboration’s graphic messages.

— kathryn romeyn, latimes.com, "Jewelry designer and makeup artist team up to spread their golden rule: Love Yourself," 12 July 2018
The overall aesthetic of the shop lives up to its name, blending midcentury modern’s sophisticated minimalism with a nod to the rugged outdoors.

— chris lamorte, chicagotribune.com, "Andersonville’s new men's lifestyle shop Cowboys & Astronauts is ready to launch your summer style in 10, 9, 8 ...," 15 June 2018
Their house, spacious and decorated with the tasteful minimalism of a boutique hotel, is guarded by security, and staffed by two Filipino women who serve as nanny and housekeeper.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "An Activist-Filmmaker Tackles Patriarchy in Pakistan," 6 Feb. 2016
The first gathers the ethereal glass cubes made by Bell, a renowned California Light and Space artist whose attention to material, transparency and reflection have earned him a spot in the pantheon of minimalism.

— carolina a. miranda, latimes.com, "Datebook: Shots of old Route 66, dreamlike paintings and garments fashioned from paper," 12 July 2018
This apartment is another example of metropolitan minimalism, as more and more architects are learning to get creative with the limited space that’s become synonymous with city living today.

— alex bazeley, Curbed, "355-square-foot apartment maximizes limited urban space," 28 June 2018
With a focus on fit, material, and details, Glaser's style is a balance of utility and minimalism with a dose of earnest personality that comes with hitting the road.

— Esquire, "Globetrotting Photographer Todd Glaser Schools Us on Minimalist Fall Fashion," 28 Sep. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'minimalism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In the 1960s, a few composers, including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams, began writing music inspired by the music of India and Southeast Asia, often with a quick pulsing beat and chords that are repeated quickly over and over while small changes are slowly introduced. Minimalist art, which began appearing around the same time, tries to strip away all personal elements, often leaving only pure geometric forms; you may have seen the plain silver boxes of Donald Judd, or the straight neon tubes of Bruce Nauman. In literature, the stripped-down fiction of Samuel Beckett and Raymond Carver is often considered minimalist. But there's a real question whether these various types of minimalism should even be considered the same concept.