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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Recent Examples of modernist
The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 12 June 2026
David Peace’s modernist Red or Dead, about the life of the legendary Liverpool coach Bill Shankly, left me frequently breathless despite having little emotional investment in the ups and downs of Liverpool.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
The event, the highlight of a weeklong trip to Spain for Leo, comes 144 years after construction on the unfinished modernist basilica began and 100 years since the death of its famous architect, Antoni Gaudí.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 10 June 2026
Helsinki is famous for its 20th-century architecture, from its central train station (an Art Nouveau masterpiece by Eliel Saarinen) to the modernist simplicity of the Finlandia concert hall by Alvar Aalto.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
Initially this brought an overdue celebration of figures, like Fred Eversley, Jack Whitten, and Howardena Pindell, who had been working within high-modernist modes but had been discriminated against by white curators, dealers, and critics.
—Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The title of this collection, first published in 1984, and written by a central figure of the modernist Nayi Kavita (New Poetry) movement, refers to an ancient kingdom that looms large in Indian history and myth.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola has so far redesigned five suites, bringing her signature modernist touch while drawing on the island’s colors and materials.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
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
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
Despite being a major 20th-century modernist, Galentz’s canvases have long-evaded definitive categorization.
—The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 12 June 2026
David Peace’s modernist Red or Dead, about the life of the legendary Liverpool coach Bill Shankly, left me frequently breathless despite having little emotional investment in the ups and downs of Liverpool.
—Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
The event, the highlight of a weeklong trip to Spain for Leo, comes 144 years after construction on the unfinished modernist basilica began and 100 years since the death of its famous architect, Antoni Gaudí.
—Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 10 June 2026
Helsinki is famous for its 20th-century architecture, from its central train station (an Art Nouveau masterpiece by Eliel Saarinen) to the modernist simplicity of the Finlandia concert hall by Alvar Aalto.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2026
Initially this brought an overdue celebration of figures, like Fred Eversley, Jack Whitten, and Howardena Pindell, who had been working within high-modernist modes but had been discriminated against by white curators, dealers, and critics.
—Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The title of this collection, first published in 1984, and written by a central figure of the modernist Nayi Kavita (New Poetry) movement, refers to an ancient kingdom that looms large in Indian history and myth.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola has so far redesigned five suites, bringing her signature modernist touch while drawing on the island’s colors and materials.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
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
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
-
Walk through a gallery of bronze busts immortalizing the game's greatest players and learn about the evolution of the game from the days of leather helmets to modern gear.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
That's far lower than the traditional 90-day window, and significantly lower than the more modern 45-day barrier.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Kings, poets, scientists and revolutionaries wanted to meet him and sought his advice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Al Pacino plays a CIA operative orchestrating a covert plan to eliminate the Cuban revolutionary.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The otherwise contemporary firm HOK’s interpretation features a row of square columns bookended by two bulky, mausoleum-like volumes — a kind of architectural equivalent to armored power shoulders.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
-
Listing agent Susan Richards-Slavik of Coldwell Banker Realty said the result is transportive, especially in a foothill luxury market where Tuscan-style and contemporary homes dominate.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
12 June 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
-
That means a legend and a present-day contender can both show up at full strength.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The sudden proliferation has heightened scrutiny of what once seemed a highly futuristic technology but is now a present-day reality.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Such undead falsehoods drive our current peril.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
Yet the current system leaves parents struggling to afford care, providers struggling to stay afloat and workers struggling to remain in the profession.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modernist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernist. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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