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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in modern
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 modernist
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Banerjee, who was born in 1963, offered an effusive epilogue to the modernist exhibit, exploring dimensions, textures and scale that many of her artistic forebears could only dream of.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
From the coastal cliffs of Costa Rica to open-air Indonesian retreats, luxury villa rentals span locales and design sensibilities—if something rustic and Tuscan is not for you, something modernist and Mexican just may be.
—Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026
For the modernist, West Elm’s angular Sorrento lounge chair is the contrast your lush garden has been missing.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
But Viollet-le-Duc was no modernist avant la lettre.
—David A. Bell, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Often, modernists didn’t have a coherent vision of the body so much as a criticism of it.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
Richard Neutra’s pioneering 1928 Jardinette Apartments, a hidden modernist landmark, has been rescued from decades of decay through a complex $5 million-plus restoration.
—Sam Lubell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The seven-bedroom, seven-bath home reflects his love for handcrafted materials and modernist influences, especially from Frank Lloyd Wright and Mexican architect Luis Barragán.
—Businessden, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
In his text, Andreessen—who founded Netscape, the first commercial browser company, in the 1990s—frames technological progress as a moral good, a struggle in which, the manifesto claims with modernist gusto, beauty and progress are fused.
—Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
Of course, given her clients’ collections, Driver’s decorative scheme is far more elastic in period and style than Kappe’s predominantly modernist interiors.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 17 Apr. 2026
Fiduccia wisely notes that modernist art owes a debt to crises of all sorts.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The Catalan capital is famous for its Gothic structures and Gaudí's modernist creations—his works include Park Güell, the Sagrada Familia, and Casa Batlló.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
It has been praised by preservationists as an irreplaceable example of modernist architecture.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Technically, Maiden Home’s Louis Sideboard was designed to be placed in a modernist dining room.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
According to the Providence Preservation Society, D'Agnillo worked with local architect Albert Harkness to design the company's new, modernist headquarters.
—Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Prana is a remote seven-bedroom wilderness lodge that harmoniously blends a modernist aesthetic with traditional construction.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Banerjee, who was born in 1963, offered an effusive epilogue to the modernist exhibit, exploring dimensions, textures and scale that many of her artistic forebears could only dream of.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2026
From the coastal cliffs of Costa Rica to open-air Indonesian retreats, luxury villa rentals span locales and design sensibilities—if something rustic and Tuscan is not for you, something modernist and Mexican just may be.
—Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026
For the modernist, West Elm’s angular Sorrento lounge chair is the contrast your lush garden has been missing.
—Blake Bakkila, Architectural Digest, 15 Apr. 2026
But Viollet-le-Duc was no modernist avant la lettre.
—David A. Bell, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Often, modernists didn’t have a coherent vision of the body so much as a criticism of it.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
Richard Neutra’s pioneering 1928 Jardinette Apartments, a hidden modernist landmark, has been rescued from decades of decay through a complex $5 million-plus restoration.
—Sam Lubell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The seven-bedroom, seven-bath home reflects his love for handcrafted materials and modernist influences, especially from Frank Lloyd Wright and Mexican architect Luis Barragán.
—Businessden, Denver Post, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
This isn’t the terrifying Frost of modernist criticism—although the poem is fully aware of darkness, and its world, on the cusp of World War I, like ours, certainly had its terrors.
—Literary Hub, 24 Apr. 2026
In his text, Andreessen—who founded Netscape, the first commercial browser company, in the 1990s—frames technological progress as a moral good, a struggle in which, the manifesto claims with modernist gusto, beauty and progress are fused.
—Simon Denny, Artforum, 20 Apr. 2026
Of course, given her clients’ collections, Driver’s decorative scheme is far more elastic in period and style than Kappe’s predominantly modernist interiors.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 17 Apr. 2026
Fiduccia wisely notes that modernist art owes a debt to crises of all sorts.
—Ara H. Merjian, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The Catalan capital is famous for its Gothic structures and Gaudí's modernist creations—his works include Park Güell, the Sagrada Familia, and Casa Batlló.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 14 Apr. 2026
It has been praised by preservationists as an irreplaceable example of modernist architecture.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
Technically, Maiden Home’s Louis Sideboard was designed to be placed in a modernist dining room.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
According to the Providence Preservation Society, D'Agnillo worked with local architect Albert Harkness to design the company's new, modernist headquarters.
—Antonia Noori Farzan, The Providence Journal, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernist
Noun
-
The bromide has it that a liberal is a person who won’t take his own side in an argument.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Her efforts to come to terms with polyamory are couched as a political project—part of being an open-minded liberal—as much as a romantic one.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yet another secondary effect of the Iran war is the expansion of modern drone warfare to the Persian Gulf region.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Clinics use modern equipment and high-quality materials and keep prices affordable.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The second includes former revolutionaries, reformists, communist factions and groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), many of whom emerged from or once supported the revolutionary system before later opposing it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In 1777, he was summoned to Paris to meet with American revolutionaries, including Benjamin Franklin.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even in the contemporary digital age, a significant portion of a publisher’s money remains tied up in stock and warehousing.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Set in contemporary London, Fuze unfolds after an unexploded World War II bomb is unearthed at a busy construction site, forcing a massive citywide evacuation.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 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
-
The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a new stadium project on the lakefront partly funded by the public that would give the team a facility in line with many of the NFL’s ultramodern, fan-friendly structures.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Just to the south at 1723 N. Halsted St. is the famous, but unsigned Alinea Restaurant, where Grant Achatz's ultramodern cooking style helped define the molecular gastronomy movement.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Shot with cold control in black and white by cinematographer Kyle Deitz, Wiseman’s feature debut is a stylish thriller that launched at regional festivals in 2024; what must have seemed near-future about it then seems almost too present-day in 2026.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The result nods to the site’s musical past without leaning into nostalgia, grounding the hotel firmly in its present-day setting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Wagner already missed 48 games during the regular season while working his way back from injury, and the caution surrounding his current calf strain is understandable given the risk associated with rushing that type of issue.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
All of it is encrypted, and some of it could be stored by actors anticipating that current encryption methods may become less effective over time.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modernist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernist. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
