1900–05; < French: literally, new art
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After fully renovating their apartment in a 1904 art nouveau building that’s a short walk from the Duomo cathedral, they now split their time between Beverly Hills and Milan, with plenty of travel in between.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2025
Ferrell’s aesthetic, like her music, is a singular blend that joins past with present: 19th century carnival-core, art nouveau huntress, cosmic cowgirl, anime pixie and futuristic Las Vegas showgirl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2024
"It was just basically the art nouveau interior and the way the whole thing looked."
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2023
Or was it the hand-painted porcelain plate with the exceptional art nouveau design I happened upon at a Redmond antique mall?
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 8, 2023
He stared at her books, too—covered in ink and art nouveau doodles.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
It’s an onslaught of extravagant Rococo, Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, modern and contemporary porcelain showpieces, gilded and in dazzling blues, turquoises, ochers and pinks—made for sovereigns, dignitaries, diplomats, heads of state and the wealthy elite.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
Inspired by the influential Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha, Gwen Sukeena of Sukeena Design Studio created a flower-filled room for a teenage girl living during the 1930s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025
The set pieces are somewhat inspired by the Art Nouveau posters that Alphonse Mucha created for the stage actress Sarah Bernhardt and others, along with 1960s psychedelic fantasy art.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
The Mackintosh building in Garnethill was designed in phases between 1896 and 1909, in Art Nouveau style.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2023
“It’s an Art Nouveau mechanical pencil. I bought it for Mrs. Patterson ages ago. She used to wear it around her neck.”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
