new wave

noun

variants often New Wave

1

: a cinematic movement that is characterized by improvisation, abstraction, and subjective symbolism and that often makes use of experimental photographic techniques

2

: a new movement in a particular field

3

: popular music less raw than punk rock and typically including unconventional melodies, exaggerated beats, and quirky lyrics

4

: dernier cri

especially : fashion that is strikingly outrageous

new-wave

ˈnü-ˈwāv 

ˈnyü-, 

-ˌwāv

adjective

new waver

ˈnü-ˈwā-vər 

ˈnyü-

noun

Examples of new wave in a Sentence

people who listened to punk, New Wave, or disco

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter. —Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025

And many peace accords fall apart quickly and are followed by new waves of violence. —Josefina Echavarria Alvarez, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025

Now that 34-year-old Mamdani is officially New York City’s mayor-elect, many in the Sunshine State are sure that a new wave of migration from the Northeast is about to happen. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025

Growing number of older runners A new wave of older runners are racing. —Eleanor Yang Su, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for new wave

• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave
• forgave
• landgrave
• margrave
• shortwave
• aftershave