as in term
a way of saying something that is particular to the present day; a modern speech form
modernisms like "blog" and "life hack"
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Recent Examples of modernism
Clearly, if Futurism’s innovations are key to the development of modernism, then the political and social contexts that Futurism emerged from, and the values of the regimes that enabled it, also manifest in modernism.
—
Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
Their careers lasted from the early years of modernism through pop art of the 1960s and beyond.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Set amongst rice fields in Ubud, the home blends tropical modernism with local craftsmanship, with four bedrooms that open out to green views.
—Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026
This time along with Rossen Ventzislavov, an educator who brought me out to Woodbury University last spring as a fellow to teach a one-of-a-kind semester on Black modernism in architecture, design and popular culture.
—Jerald “coop” Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for modernism
Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
Their careers lasted from the early years of modernism through pop art of the 1960s and beyond.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
Set amongst rice fields in Ubud, the home blends tropical modernism with local craftsmanship, with four bedrooms that open out to green views.
—Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026
This time along with Rossen Ventzislavov, an educator who brought me out to Woodbury University last spring as a fellow to teach a one-of-a-kind semester on Black modernism in architecture, design and popular culture.
—Jerald “coop” Cooper, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for modernism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernism
Noun
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The painting may be the first appearance in art of the American doctrine of Manifest Destiny, a term coined the year before by the newspaperman and diplomat John O’Sullivan.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Giuliani floated the idea of changing the law to run for a third term or serving an extra three months to help with a post-9/11 recovery.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Are these neologisms diagnosing modern phenomena or illuminating preëxisting cultural realities?—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
2 Dec. 2025
-
These neologisms weren’t just clever.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The exhibit’s title is derived from a Spanish colloquialism.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Ways to learn a new language Apps are a good way to learn the basics and proper pronunciation, but many colloquialisms, abbreviations and grammatically informal expressions used by fluent or native speakers aren’t taught on apps or in language classes.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The phrase apparently traces its origins to a 2021 post in an online forum run by Chinese search giant Baidu.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
-
Some fans even carry small black signs with the phrase emblazoned on it in white letters, which Barclays security guards quietly try to confiscate here and there.—
Yohana Desta,
Vanity Fair,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Special military operation is Russia’s official euphemism for the country’s invasion of Ukraine.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
30 Apr. 2026
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Discussing why people use euphemisms online prepares children to pause and ask questions when unfamiliar terms appear.—
Sharlette A. Kellum,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The author, a professor named Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, proved to have a knack not just for provocative legal essays but for coinages, too.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
People have been called pedants since the early modern period—pedante is a fifteenth-century Italian coinage for a professional teacher of Latin literature and rhetoric—but have been acting pedantically for millennia.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Moon in Sagittarius activates your 3rd House of Communication, encouraging direct expression and clearer exchanges.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
The Moon’s move into Sagittarius lights up your 5th House of Creativity, pulling you toward expression, connection, and enjoyment that feels natural.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Which brings us to the ménage à trois — for some things, only a French loanword will do — between Hayley, Yasmin, and Henry, which exists at the opposite end of the boundary-setting spectrum.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
26 Jan. 2026
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For instance, people, a French loanword, may be spelled peple, pepill, poeple, or poepul.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Modernism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernism. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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