modernism
nounUK /ˈmɒdənɪzəm/
US /ˈmɑːdərnɪzəm/
A new way of making art and thinking that started long ago and tried fresh ideas instead of old ones.
The museum has a whole room full of modernism, with paintings that look very different from old-fashioned ones.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A style in art, literature, and music from the late 1800s and 1900s that used new forms and broke old rules.
Her favorite class was about modernism in poetry.
3. A way of thinking that trusts science, reason, and new ideas to improve life.
The town's modernism showed in its new schools and hospitals.
4. In religion, a movement that tries to bring old teachings up to date with modern knowledge.
The church debated modernism during the council.