avant-garde 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of avant-gardenext
as in progressive
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

avant-garde

2 of 2

noun

ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd How to pronounce avant-garde (audio)
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 avant-garde
Adjective
The avant-garde legend is seen sitting in a kitchen alongside Martin Scorsese and Marc Jacobs — each one representing a component of music, fashion, and film. — Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2026 Part of it was because Williams designed what his clients wanted rather than adhering to a strict aesthetic code, so he wasn’t considered an avant-garde architect. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 24 June 2026
Noun
Art history as a discipline favors upstarts, the avant-garde, protest, outsiders, and transgression—all those timeless modernisms. — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Russell turned the story into an extravagant examination of religious hysteria and political power, with stark white sets by Derek Jarman and an avant-garde score by Peter Maxwell Davies. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
  1. progressive
  2. vanguard
  3. advanced
  4. underground
  5. unconventional
  6. pioneering
  7. avant
  8. modern
Adjective
  • The idea that criminals could serve sentences behind bars was a more progressive approach to justice in comparison.
    — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Vang, 41, is one of several younger and progressive challengers seeking to oust longtime incumbents across the country.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of progressive
Noun
  • The masthead means to identify vanguard critics, poets, and authors for a lively new readership.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Madonna, host Snoop Dogg and this year’s video vanguard recipient Nirvana also have strong appeal to an older demo.
    — Paul Grein, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of vanguard
Adjective
  • Yet, as in many speculative markets, sophisticated participants often have access to better information, stronger analytical tools and more advanced risk-management techniques than retail participants, giving them an informational edge.
    — Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • This week, Ukraine also did not receive advanced warning from partners of incoming ballistic missiles, resulting in civilian deaths, according to Ukrainian officials.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of advanced
Noun
  • Storing heat underground uses the same principle, though in reverse.
    — Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Most Read Reviews Appropriately enough for two musicians working at the cutting edge of this underground, Bowery Electric’s Martha Schwendener and Lawrence Chandler met while working at pre-fab master Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of underground
Adjective
  • The food-beauty collaboration pipeline is gaining an unconventional contender.
    — Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The most unconventional of the trio is the jamón y queso, built with ribbons of jamón serrano.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of unconventional
Adjective
  • Jean-Pierre Laffont is a pioneering French-American photojournalist who documented pivotal moments of the 20th century.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Viagra had come along five years earlier, an immediate pioneering blockbuster.
    — Bob Brody, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of pioneering
Adjective
  • The Boss Bottled Beyond fragrance had an avant-première in travel retail, for example.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • British avant-techno producer Actress has returned with his first new solo album in two years.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 15 July 2026
Definition of avant
Adjective
  • Perfect Road, a documentary from Danish directors and cousins Adam and Christian Bonke, follows him on an extreme journey through some of Europe’s highest mountain passes, while also providing a meditation on modern life and character study.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Although driver engagement has long been central to the 911 experience, the realities of modern automotive development are making manual transmissions a rare commodity.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of modern

Browse Nearby Words

avant
avant-garde
avant-gardes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on avant-garde

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about avant-garde

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All