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

Written in the form of an MFA thesis, the book offers a postmodern dissection of the ways power affects coupling partnerships. —Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 4 June 2025

As mini-twists give way to jaw-dropping mega-twists and the episode’s core concept gets frightfully postmodern, both actors deliver skin-crawling work as villainous but sympathetic figures. 7. —Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025

For decades, shows have featured fictional, in-universe flicks — but that tradition has taken on new dimensions in our postmodern, ever-more-self-reflexive era. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 29 May 2025

But exciting structures can emerge from pushing away from that single ideal and exploring, for example, postmodern architecture, where buildings can have aspects that are not strictly bounded by their function. —Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for postmodern

• premodern
• modern