postmodern

[ pohst-mod-ern ]

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to architecture of the late 20th century, appearing in the 1960s, that consciously uses complex forms, fantasy, and allusions to historic styles, in contrast to the austere forms and emphasis on utility of standard modern architecture.
2. extremely modern; cutting-edge:

   postmodern kids who grew up on MTV.

postmodern

/ pəʊstˈmɒdən /

adjective

1. (in the arts, architecture, etc) characteristic of a style and school of thought that rejects the dogma and practices of any form of modernism; in architecture, contrasting with international modernism and featuring elements from several periods, esp the Classical, often with ironic use of decoration

Derived Forms

• postˈmoderˌnism, noun
• postˈmodernist, nounadjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of postmodern¹

First recorded in 1945–50; post- + modern

Example Sentences

If I were ever asked to teach a class in postmodern art, I would hold up the entire meme as a signature example of the staggering creative force unleashed by the Great Digital Convergence.

From MIT Technology Review

By the 1980s, Cindy Sherman’s mercurial practice had made her a paragon of the postmodern.

From Washington Post

The story of fluoridation reads like a postmodern fable, and the moral is clear: a scientific discovery might seem like a boon.

From The Daily Beast

Brash, crass, and overflowing with wiseass attitude, he remains the ultimate postmodern superhero.

From The Daily Beast

Brash, crass, and sporting a perpetually raised eyebrow, Ash Williams remains the ultimate postmodern superhero.

From The Daily Beast

It’s arguably the best film of the ‘90s—a postmodern pop culture smorgasbord awash in nihilism and dripping with retro cool.

From The Daily Beast

We Americans, as the postmodern conservative professor Peter Lawler has put it, refuse to see ourselves as mere "history fodder."

From The Daily Beast