avant-garde 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of avant-gardenext
as in progressive
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

avant-garde

2 of 2

noun

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd How to pronounce avant-garde (audio)
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avant-garde
Adjective
The avant-garde legend is seen sitting in a kitchen alongside Martin Scorsese and Marc Jacobs — each one representing a component of music, fashion, and film. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026 Part of it was because Williams designed what his clients wanted rather than adhering to a strict aesthetic code, so he wasn’t considered an avant-garde architect. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 June 2026
Noun
For his fourth feature, Post Tenebras Lux, Reygadas took a major detour toward the avant-garde and the personal, in a move that garnered him some detractors while pleasing his more hardcore fans. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 28 Sep. 2026 Each nail boasted its own playful pattern, an avant-garde technique largely favored by the younger generations. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
  1. progressive
  2. vanguard
  3. advanced
  4. underground
  5. unconventional
  6. pioneering
  7. avant
  8. modern
Adjective
  • The actor is outspoken about his progressive politics and works closely with many different organizations.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
  • San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, a Chinese immigrant and chair of the Board of Supervisors’ budget committee, is a progressive backed by labor whose campaign received a major boost from Pelosi’s endorsement.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of progressive
Noun
  • The masthead means to identify vanguard critics, poets, and authors for a lively new readership.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Madonna, host Snoop Dogg and this year’s video vanguard recipient Nirvana also have strong appeal to an older demo.
    — Paul Grein, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of vanguard
Adjective
  • Scandium’s role in aerospace and advanced technology Rare earth separation involves converting mixed material into individual oxides used across advanced manufacturing and other strategic industries.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Scotti has tried to find out from Fort Worth police if advanced DNA technology, known as forensic genetic genealogy, might move Gloria’s case forward.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • Most Read Reviews Appropriately enough for two musicians working at the cutting edge of this underground, Bowery Electric’s Martha Schwendener and Lawrence Chandler met while working at pre-fab master Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Quaise plans to direct that energy underground to heat rock intensely enough to remove it, replacing the mechanical cutting action of conventional drill bits.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • From betting on Barbie to giving a café barista a shot, Kreiz has repeatedly embraced unconventional people and ideas.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In 2001, the architecture critic and scholar Robin Middleton bought a former tile factory on East 13th Street and remodeled it to match his unconventional life.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • Îacaré was born in Brazil’s wild Pantanal, where the founder’s family operates a pioneering caiman operation that emphasizes transparency and traceability.
    — Katie Abel, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Born in Buenos Aires in 1959, Cerati rose to international prominence as the frontman, guitarist and creative force behind Soda Stereo, the pioneering band that helped define rock en español across the 1980s and ’90s.
    — Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of pioneering
Adjective
  • British avant-techno producer Actress has returned with his first new solo album in two years.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
  • Fifteen years have passed since Parts & Labor last released an album, and the Brooklyn avant-rock band has time on its mind.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 10 July 2026
Definition of avant
Adjective
  • Our research suggests these tombs were designed and constructed not simply to house the dead, but to affect the living through a sensorily immersive environment similar to a modern 3D film experience.
    — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
  • From Mudmee Thai silk to handwoven indigo cotton sourced from Don Koi, textiles were reworked using modern techniques such as laser cutting — which also showcased the influence of India through the brand’s Thai identity.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of modern

Browse Nearby Words

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avant-garde
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Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on avant-garde

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about avant-garde

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