postmodern

adjective

post·​mod·​ern ˌpōs(t)-ˈmä-dərn 

nonstandard -ˈmä-d(ə-)rən

1

: of, relating to, or being an era after a modern one

postmodern times

a postmodern metropolis

2

a

: of, relating to, or being any of various movements in reaction to modernism that are typically characterized by a return to traditional materials and forms (as in architecture) or by ironic self-reference and absurdity (as in literature)

b

: of, relating to, or being a theory that involves a radical reappraisal of modern assumptions about culture, identity, history, or language

postmodern feminism

postmodernism

ˌpōs(t)-ˈmä-dər-ˌni-zəm 

noun

postmodernist

ˌpōs(t)-ˈmä-dər-nist 

adjective or noun

postmodernity

ˌpōs(t)-mə-ˈdər-ne-tē 

-mä-

also -ˈder-

noun

Examples of postmodern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The book is breathtakingly large in scope and purpose, tracking the ideal from pre-Revolutionary America to the postmodern age. — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

In true postmodern fashion, Fitzgerald gets a brief, drunken cameo, meeting Jack on an ocean liner. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026

Its blood had drawn crooked and contorted lines on the ground, as if a painter had splashed colorful strokes on a canvas to create a postmodern masterpiece. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

In person, the 849 looks sleek and eye-opening, like a postmodern kinetic sculpture. — Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for postmodern

• premodern
• modern