as in liberal
a person with very modern ideas
a time when Paris was the center of the universe for modernists in the art world
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as in modern
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Recent Examples of modernist
Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
Yes, remarks those catty modernists made about their host could be less than savory, but Stein wasn’t bothered.
—Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Carter Sparks was a Sacramento modernist architect and longtime design partner of the Streng brothers.
—David Caraccio
may 22, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026
Chef David Cruz has built a refined menu sourced from small Brazilian producers across the country which is served from an open kitchen in this comfortable modernist setting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
This modernist gem, tucked away on Marin County’s Belvedere Island, packs a triple whammy.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
The concept of a linear city goes back to the late nineteenth-century construction of such a modernist urban settlement near Madrid, Spain.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 1 May 2026
The rich textures and thick ambiance of The Eyes of Others are pure high modernist 1960s Italian cinema, but De Sica unfurls the film’s winding intrigues with a contemporary sense of suspense, carnality, and visual boldness.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Like the museum-grade artworks that populate its expansive walls and outdoor spaces, this Miami modernist home was always destined to be one of a kind.
—David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2026
Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
With natural stone in ocher and white and touches of unfinished wood, the undulating, interlocking structures create a modernist effect—a welcome change from the more classic and frumpy properties of the Côte d’Azur.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
In the middle of a sculptural fountain inspired by the Ilisos river, which once flowed through the neighborhood, stood a modernist iron snail, spouting water.
—Eleni N. Gage, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026
That drone touches down at the address of architect Otone Komoto (Haruka Ayase), who designed her family’s modernist home, an arrangement of overlapping boxes stacked around a garden courtyard.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Also featured are a pair of mid-20th century works by modernist pioneers Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota) and George Morrison (Ojibwe).
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The Neue Galerie is known for its deep holdings of German and Austrian modernist art, including masterpieces by Gustav Klimt, at least one of which is worth more than $100 million.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Met director Max Hollein told the New York Times that the merger would significantly expand the Met’s holdings of German and Austrian modernist art.
—News Desk, Artforum, 14 May 2026
The modernist architectural firm of Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey designed the 2,273-square-foot retreat known as the Portage Residence.
—Sandra Barrera, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Noun
Shot mostly in the Canary Islands with the region’s searing, glaring Tropic-of-Cancer-adjacent light, freakishly black, volcanic soil and groovy mid-century-modernist buildings, the film suggests a future where the worst climactic disasters have been avoided.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
Yes, remarks those catty modernists made about their host could be less than savory, but Stein wasn’t bothered.
—Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Carter Sparks was a Sacramento modernist architect and longtime design partner of the Streng brothers.
—David Caraccio
may 22, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2026
Chef David Cruz has built a refined menu sourced from small Brazilian producers across the country which is served from an open kitchen in this comfortable modernist setting.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 May 2026
This modernist gem, tucked away on Marin County’s Belvedere Island, packs a triple whammy.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 May 2026
The concept of a linear city goes back to the late nineteenth-century construction of such a modernist urban settlement near Madrid, Spain.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 1 May 2026
The rich textures and thick ambiance of The Eyes of Others are pure high modernist 1960s Italian cinema, but De Sica unfurls the film’s winding intrigues with a contemporary sense of suspense, carnality, and visual boldness.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
Like the museum-grade artworks that populate its expansive walls and outdoor spaces, this Miami modernist home was always destined to be one of a kind.
—David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Richard is a tiki guy, and his and Schaffer’s book is the first attempt, possibly ever, to unite the flamboyant exuberance of tiki with the methodical precision of the modernist craft movement.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026
With natural stone in ocher and white and touches of unfinished wood, the undulating, interlocking structures create a modernist effect—a welcome change from the more classic and frumpy properties of the Côte d’Azur.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026
In the middle of a sculptural fountain inspired by the Ilisos river, which once flowed through the neighborhood, stood a modernist iron snail, spouting water.
—Eleni N. Gage, Travel + Leisure, 24 May 2026
That drone touches down at the address of architect Otone Komoto (Haruka Ayase), who designed her family’s modernist home, an arrangement of overlapping boxes stacked around a garden courtyard.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026
Also featured are a pair of mid-20th century works by modernist pioneers Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota) and George Morrison (Ojibwe).
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
The Neue Galerie is known for its deep holdings of German and Austrian modernist art, including masterpieces by Gustav Klimt, at least one of which is worth more than $100 million.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Met director Max Hollein told the New York Times that the merger would significantly expand the Met’s holdings of German and Austrian modernist art.
—News Desk, Artforum, 14 May 2026
The modernist architectural firm of Thornton Ladd and John Kelsey designed the 2,273-square-foot retreat known as the Portage Residence.
—Sandra Barrera, Daily News, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernist
Noun
-
Lee, a liberal who espouses improved ties with North Korea, didn't specifically comment on the threats posed by the North.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
-
Lee, a liberal who espouses improved ties with North Korea, did not specifically comment on the threats posed by the North.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
As with the rest of the hotel, rooms and suites blend extreme comfort and modern convenience with antique beauty, atmosphere and brilliant art.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Heritage varieties act as a genetic backup library, offering traits that modern breeding programs may need to draw on later.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Not helping was Parliament’s passage of the Tea Act in 1773, to which revolutionaries responded by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Not helping was Parliament's passage of the Tea Act in 1773, to which revolutionaries responded by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kwok moved across categories, from emerging contemporary artists to established modern and post-war works, building a broad and informed perspective.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
The contemporary dance troupe closes out a 20-year run with its final three hometown shows, including works by choreographers Fernando Magadan, Cayetano Soto, Joan Rodriguez, Richard Siegal and Trey McIntyre.—
Arts Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The design is more modernistic than futuristic, different but still relatable.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Front and center is a large blue modernistic disc known as a Keystone Sparton Nocturne radio from 1935.—
Penny E Schwartz,
Oc Register,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Burle’s Bar: A cocktail bar located inside the Victorian plant shop at Beltline-level in the ultramodern Fourth Ward Offices tower.—
Henri Hollis,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
-
Or, retreat to peaceful Bluffside Gardens with ultramodern cabins that offer direct trail access.—
Sarah Miller,
Midwest Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But rebuilding Penn Station also allowed developers to relocate Madison Square Garden from Eighth Avenue and 50th to its present-day spot, between 31st and 33rd and 7th and 8th, and plop it directly above the railway.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
-
These colonies included present-day Haiti and the now overseas French departments of Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion.—
Jeremy D. Popkin,
The Conversation,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Saban made several accurate and valuable points about the current direction of the sport and his issues with it.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
-
If the current pace of biopharma M&A holds up for the rest of the year, the industry could be on track to notch more than $250 billion in deal value, marking the strongest year for biotech and pharma since the 2019 peak.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modernist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernist. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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