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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of modernism
Rooms The interiors at Ipanema Inn evoke Brazilian modernism.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
When Sotheby’s moved into the Breuer building last year, the auction house inherited more than just a famous slab of Marcel Breuer modernism on Madison Avenue.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
In the past couple of decades, however, Czernowin has deëmphasized the frantic gesturing that characterizes so much latter-day modernism.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Mollino, who became famous for blending surrealism, engineering, and sensual Italian modernism into his work, designed the property to feel almost suspended in nature.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for modernism
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
When Sotheby’s moved into the Breuer building last year, the auction house inherited more than just a famous slab of Marcel Breuer modernism on Madison Avenue.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 19 May 2026
In the past couple of decades, however, Czernowin has deëmphasized the frantic gesturing that characterizes so much latter-day modernism.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Mollino, who became famous for blending surrealism, engineering, and sensual Italian modernism into his work, designed the property to feel almost suspended in nature.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for modernism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernism
Noun
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During the four-month primary campaign, Raman offered withering critiques of Bass’ first term, saying the mayor failed to act with urgency on homelessness, apartment construction, street repairs and the exodus of entertainment jobs from the region.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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Gonzales, a 43-year-old two-term state senator from Denver, has framed her candidacy in large part as a progressive critique and challenge to the Democratic Party’s more moderate standard-bearers, like Hickenlooper.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
7 June 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
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These neologisms weren’t just clever.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The exhibit’s title is derived from a Spanish colloquialism.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Feb. 2026
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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
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The phrase is everywhere in international relations circles, but the explanation is almost nowhere.—
Andrew Latham,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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In the Obama Presidential Center Museum, the story of America is that of a nation striving to become a more perfect union, a phrase Obama returned to often in his speeches.—
Tamara Keith,
NPR,
4 June 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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Call it artistic expression, or maybe just a Knicks fan too busy jumping for joy to cut the outtakes.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
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The regulation of our environment; the presence of chemicals both intentionally and unwittingly in our food, water, air, and land; the ecological fate of all living creatures, and of the earth itself—all these dilemmas and conundrums find urgent expression in Carson’s work.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Noun
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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 Jun. 2026.
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