minimalism

noun

min·​i·​mal·​ism ˈmi-nə-mə-ˌli-zəm 

1

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

2

: minimal art

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.

Examples of minimalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several of its designers previously worked on major projects such as Aman Tokyo and The Chedi Andermatt; experience that informs the team’s warm, Asian-leaning minimalism. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

The film is remembered as a sartorial masterclass in Italian minimalism, with Giorgio Armani as its costume designer. —Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026

Midimalism invites richness of character that minimalism sometimes lacks, while avoiding the overwhelming saturation of personality that maximalism brings. —Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026

Covered in silvery industrial panels, with a door that closes flush against the façade, the four-story building stands out for its museumlike minimalism. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for minimalism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism