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• art deco
  art deco

  noun

  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.
• Art Deco
  Art Deco

  noun

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

See Examples For:

art deco Art Deco

Sure, the buildings were crumbling, but the art deco architecture was historic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

He stops frequently to point out neoclassical and art deco flourishes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

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

Eric’s apartment had crossbeamed ceilings and a fireplace with an art deco mantel.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Mounted slightly above head height and illuminated like a shrine, it flickers among Art Deco radio, fierce guardian and modern sculpture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Millions will be spent to regild the hulking Art Deco statues that buttress Arlington Memorial Bridge.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

He has gutted the bathroom attached to the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House’s private quarters, altering its green Art Deco tile work to a sterile marble with gold fixtures.

From Salon ● May 7, 2026

Marshall’s plans to demolish a former youth hostel built during the Art Deco period to make way for a sports field was blocked by the Historic Preservation Board, which mandated he preserve the building’s facade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

It was one of our favorite places, a special-occasion kind of joint, with soft Art Deco lighting and crisp white tablecloths and things like caviar and artichoke fritters on the menu.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama