new wave

noun

often capitalized N&W

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

Innovation velocity: Exposure to external technologies often fuels new waves of invention. —Vivian Toh, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025

But a new wave of anti-immigrant sentiments is erupting in Indianapolis and across the U.S., which once celebrated its role as a cultural melting pot, in a surge of nativism. —Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 3 July 2025

Louisville’s coffee shop scene is catching a new wave. —Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025

The city served as a vibrant backdrop to an intense calendar of shows, presentations and events while a new wave of emerging designers brought fresh ideas. —Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 30 June 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