art deco

American  

Or Art Deco

noun

1. a style of decorative art developed originally in the 1920s with a revival in the 1960s, marked chiefly by geometric motifs, curvilinear forms, sharply defined outlines, often bold colors, and the use of synthetic materials, as plastics.

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Art Deco British  

/ ˈdɛkəʊ /

noun

1. 1. a style of interior decoration, jewellery, architecture, etc, at its height in the 1930s and characterized by geometrical shapes, stylized natural forms, and symmetrical utilitarian designs adapted to mass production

   2. ( as modifier )

      an Art-Deco carpet

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Etymology

Origin of art deco

1965–70; < French Art Déco, shortened from Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, an exposition of modern decorative and industrial arts held in Paris, France, in 1925

Example Sentences

The housing provider said it did not expect the art deco site, which was built in the 1930s, to reopen to students for the start of the 2026/27 academic year.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The future of the Chrysler Building, a unique monument to art deco architecture on the Manhattan skyline, remains in limbo as it awaits a possible sale.

From Barron's • Jan. 11, 2026

Even the security guard watching over a small grocery store across the street from the three-story art deco library wears a bulletproof vest.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Most spring break activity centers around a 10-block stretch of Ocean Drive known for its art deco hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2024

Dasch and Burger went inside the Edwardian-styled building with an art deco tower and rode the wooden escalator to the men's department, located on the second floor.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple