avant-garde

American  

[uh-vahnt-gahrd, uh-vant-, av-ahnt-, ah-vahnt-, a-vahn-gard] / əˌvɑntˈgɑrd, əˌvænt-, ˌæv ɑnt-, ˌɑ vɑnt-, a vɑ̃ˈgard /

noun

1. the advance group in any field, especially in the visual, literary, or musical arts, whose works are characterized chiefly by unorthodox and experimental methods.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the experimental treatment of artistic, musical, or literary material.

2. belonging to the avant-garde.

   an avant-garde composer.

3. unorthodox or daring; radical.

   To regain public trust in the news media, the organization took the avant-garde approach of including the public in the production of news.

avant-garde British  

/ avɑ̃ɡard, ˌævɒŋˈɡɑːd /

noun

1. those artists, writers, musicians, etc, whose techniques and ideas are markedly experimental or in advance of those generally accepted

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adjective

1. of such artists, etc, their ideas, or techniques

2. radical; daring

Usage

What does avant-garde mean? From the French, avant-garde describes experimental or innovative art or design, or the group of people who make them and push the envelope in their field. It can also more generally refer to anything considered "unorthodox" or "radical."

Other Word Forms

• avant-gardism noun
• avant-gardist noun

Etymology

Origin of avant-garde

First recorded in 1475–85; in sense “vanguard”; from French: literally, “fore-guard;” vanguard

Example Sentences

Lam was embraced and encouraged by the Parisian avant-garde, especially Picasso, with whom he exhibited, and the Surrealists, including André Breton, with whom he collaborated.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mansfield met her second husband, the editor John Middleton Murry, when she submitted a short story to his avant-garde magazine, Rhythm.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Very avant-garde. Like a large parrot. More of a statement piece now.”

From Literature

Glass' groundbreaking moment came in 1976 when he premiered "Einstein on the Beach" -- a work that tore apart basic expectations of opera and marked a coming of age for the avant-garde.

From Barron's

The 16-minute dance, the longest of the show, was set to an imaginative mix of taped selections ranging from George Gershwin to Kurt Schwitters, the avant-garde artist who also composed sound poetry.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• advanced
• ahead of its time
• experimental
• groundbreaking
• innovative
• innovatory
• inventive
• modern
• new
• original
• pioneering
• progressive
• revolutionary
• state-of-the-art
• trailblazing
• ultramodern
• unorthodox