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  • art nouveau
    art nouveau
    noun
    a style of fine and applied art current in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized chiefly by curvilinear motifs often derived from natural forms.
  • Art Nouveau
    Art Nouveau

art nouveau

American  
[ahrt noo-voh, ahr, ar-noo-voh] / ˌɑrt nuˈvoʊ, ˌɑr, ar nuˈvoʊ /

noun

(often initial capital letters)
  1. a style of fine and applied art current in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized chiefly by curvilinear motifs often derived from natural forms.


Art Nouveau British  
/ ɑː nuːˈvəʊ, ar nuvo /

noun

    1. a style of art and architecture of the 1890s, characterized by swelling sinuous outlines and stylized natural forms, such as flowers and leaves

    2. ( as modifier )

      an Art-Nouveau mirror

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of art nouveau

1900–05; < French: literally, new art


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

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

In browsing print shops and bookstores, I found and bought illustrated books by designers whose styles epitomize art nouveau, Art Deco, and the arts and crafts aesthetic.

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

He said his medium may have seen its peak during the turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau movement, which saw an embrace of organic forms and a rejection of Industrial Age mass-produced monotony.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026

A rarely seen look at the lives of craftsmen behind Meissen porcelain, French Art Nouveau glass and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2025

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

Before, with Art Nouveau, beautiful homes were only mansions for the rich.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2025

“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

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