Modernism
noun
noun ·4 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Modern or contemporary ideas, thought, practices, etc. uncountable
- 2 practices typical of contemporary life or thought wordnet
- 3 Anything that is characteristic of modernity. countable
- 4 genre of art and literature that makes a self-conscious break with previous genres wordnet
- 5 Any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century. countable, uncountable
"Penrod is so referential as to be almost a work of postmodernism—assuming Tarkington could have imagined such a thing with modernism itself just beginning to steamroll over him."
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- 6 the quality of being current or of the present wordnet
- 7 A religious movement in the early 20th century, condemned as heretical by Pope Pius X, which tried to reconcile Roman Catholic dogma with modern science and philosophy. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples""Tom, you translated this, right?" "Yeah, why?" "What's 'modemism'?" "I dunno, but it was written in the text." "Really?" "Really! Take a look!" "Ah, wait, but it says 'modernism'!""
Etymology
From modern + -ism.
Related phrases
More for "modernism"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.