postmodernism

American  

[pohst-mod-er-niz-uhm] / poʊstˈmɒd ərˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) any of a number of trends or movements in the arts and literature developing in the 1970s in reaction to or rejection of the dogma, principles, or practices of established modernism, especially a movement in architecture and the decorative arts running counter to the practice and influence of the International Style and encouraging the use of elements from historical vernacular styles and often playful illusion, decoration, and complexity.

---

postmodernism Cultural  

1. A movement, particularly in architecture, that reacted against the pared-down modern school by reintroducing classical and traditional elements of style. An example of this style is Philip Johnson's AT&T Building in New York City.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• postmodernist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of postmodernism

First recorded in 1970–75; post- + modernism

Example Sentences

Emerging in the late ’60s and hitting its stride by the ’80s, postmodernism is defined as a reaction against that less-is-more, strict-type of modernism that came from Europe.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

His work also went out of fashion for a time, as postmodernism swept in and clients returned to more traditional styles.

From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2023

There was a lot of theoretical architecture going around, mostly originated, I think, from the East Coast — postmodernism, brutalism, all of these ‘-isms.’

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2023

As a bit of postmodernism injected into a fantasy novel, it's thought-provoking.

From Salon • Oct. 2, 2022

What is the driving force behind relativism and postmodernism?

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton