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
From there, the runway becomes a space to discover more avant-garde designs — distinguished by craftsmanship, fabrication and details. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 Art history as a discipline favors upstarts, the avant-garde, protest, outsiders, and transgression—all those timeless modernisms. — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 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 false polling data from Wedgewood Polls consistently favored Democrats, particularly progressive candidates.
    — Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The tension between conservative and progressive Methodists had been simmering for years.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 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
  • By increasing its manufacturing capacity, the company aims to strengthen its ability to deliver advanced systems to customers.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Back the companies willing to take risks The United States needs an advanced manufacturing ecosystem that includes more than behemoths with access to capital markets and giant lines of credit.
    — Rick Lazio, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • His mother had belonged to the Irgun, the Jewish underground that fought British rule before Israel’s founding, but his parents were, by all accounts, not ideological zealots.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Storing heat underground uses the same principle, though in reverse.
    — Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • Fashion brands have been experimenting with livelier and more unconventional footwear designs in general lately, and that means interesting uses of color.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • While Aardvark hinted at Sakurai’s appetite for the unconventional, The Eric Andre Show pushed that instinct further, cementing an approach that continues to inform his work.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • Auchincloss compares it to the pioneering clinical trial model that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation built in the 1990s to study the disease.
    — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • As with their neighbors to the south, residents of Canada’s western prairie and mountain provinces take pride in a pioneering spirit and rugged independence that have enabled them to prosper in often harsh terrain.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of pioneering
Adjective
  • The Boss Bottled Beyond fragrance had an avant-première in travel retail, for example.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • British avant-techno producer Actress has returned with his first new solo album in two years.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
Definition of avant
Adjective
  • Advertisement China itself offers the greatest modern demonstration of what technological diffusion can accomplish.
    — Keyu Jin, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, even after modern jeans were invented in the late 19th century, denim continued to be used to make such apparel as work jackets, prison uniforms, naval fatigues, and jumpsuits.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of modern

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Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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