Synonyms of modernist

modernist 1 of 2

noun

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

• liberal
• modern
• revolutionary
• leftist
• ultramodernist
• progressive
• reformist
• extremist
• radical
• bohemian
• lefty
• revolutionist
• neophiliac
• reformer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fossil
• reactionary
• conservative
• rightist
• fogy
• Tory
• stick-in-the-mud
• traditionalist
• veteran
• dodo
• right-winger
• old hand
• antediluvian
• standpatter
• conformist
• fuddy-duddy
• old-timer
• neoconservative
• neocon
• Bourbon
• square
• archconservative
• diehard
• Colonel Blimp
• stuffed shirt
• paleoconservative

modernist

2 of 2

adjective

as in modern

Related Words

• modern
• contemporary
• modernistic
• ultramodern
• present-day
• current
• newfangled
• new age
• state-of-the-art
• designer
• new
• chic
• up-to-date
• fashionable
• stylish
• mod
• space-age
• red-hot
• new-fashioned
• fresh
• modernized
• latest
• hot
• futuristic
• nontraditional
• updated
• smart
• renewed
• latter-day
• high-tech
• last
• refurbished
• recent
• remodeled

Dissimilar Words

• antique
• old-world
• retro
• vintage
• old-time
• old-school
• old-fashioned
• quaint
• retrograde
• antiquated
• historical
• traditional
• obsolete
• historic
• old-timey
• moldy
• oldfangled
• olden
• rinky-dink

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of modernist

Noun

Here, age-old traditions fuse with contemporary flavors, archaeological marvels meet modernist museums, rugged peaks are juxtaposed against verdant plains, and stretches of sandy shorelines lead to charming inland villages. — Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Sep. 2026

For the modernist, the Ciminiere d’Italia Round LED floor lamp offers a minimal frame that makes a major design impact. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026

Beyond the headline sales, the first-day results reflected the breadth of demand spanning Korean modernists, international blue-chip names, and younger contemporary artists. — Vivienne Chow, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026

For the modernist and late-modernist eye, all imitation is a copy, and copying is something that machines do but humans shouldn’t. — Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

This modernist gem, tucked away just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco in the affluent Upper Lucas Valley enclave of San Rafael, carries a dual legacy. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2026

Louise Nevelson may not be among the first names that come to mind in the pantheon of important artists of the modernist movement. — Douglas Markowitz, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026

Told through Bearden’s own words and archives, the film reintroduces a towering yet underrecognized modernist, athlete, and activist whose influence still shapes contemporary culture. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026

The modernist compound at 100 Rockledge sits on more than an acre of direct oceanfront and was designed by architect Fred Briggs. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The distinctive modernist homes that started going up on Fire Island in the 1960s became useful landmarks for visitors. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026

The Financial Times has argued that the astronomical prices of top modernist paintings are less about intrinsic artistic value than wealth, scarcity, and the concentration of buying power among billionaires. — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026

The library is a modernist triumph, featuring a vast, sloping glass façade. — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026

Scandinavian countries and Japan produced particularly attractive modernist flatware in the 1950s and ’60s, giving you the vintage look without the constant polishing. — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 14 Aug. 2026

But Royan also attracts people interested in the unique ways that the town’s homes and buildings were built in the modernist style of the 1950s. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

This Sag Harbor home is a delightful design mashup with a modernist exterior and mid-century modern interiors. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026

The couple, unmoored, considered pivoting to a modernist-style house or even selling the land, but the prospect of a multiyear setback was too much to bear. — Laura Regensdorf, Architectural Digest, 5 Aug. 2026

Or the elective abjection of modernist figures like Antonin Artaud, Jean Genet, Marguerite Duras, and Simone Weil. — Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026