new wave

noun

often capitalized N&W
1
: a cinematic movement that is characterized by improvisation, abstraction, and subjective symbolism and that often makes use of experimental photographic techniques
2
: a new movement in a particular field
3
: popular music less raw than punk rock and typically including unconventional melodies, exaggerated beats, and quirky lyrics
4
: dernier cri
especially : fashion that is strikingly outrageous
new-wave
ˈnü-ˈwāv How to pronounce new wave (audio)
ˈnyü-
-ˌwāv
adjective
new waver noun

Examples of new wave in a Sentence

people who listened to punk, New Wave, or disco
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
With a sharp eye for both commercial appeal and artistic ambition, Chen is part of a new wave of female producers reshaping the Chinese film industry from within. Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025 The show kicks off a new wave of fans visiting Hawaii in search of jungle treks and mysterious hatches. 2008: Breaking Bad begins airing on AMC. Catherine Baab-Muguira, Quartz, 8 May 2025 Brown is part of a new wave of curators including Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, Darienne Turner and Kalyn Fay Barnoski, who reframe Native art not as artifact but as argument. Petala Ironcloud, New York Times, 1 May 2025 Tariff threats — and efforts to get into President Donald Trump’s good graces — are fueling a new wave of U.S. manufacturing investments from the pharmaceutical industry. Annika Kim Constantino,ashley Capoot, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for new wave

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of new wave was in 1960

Cite this Entry

“New wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20wave. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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