brutalism

[ broot-l-iz-uhm ]

noun
  1. Architecture. a style of modernist architecture, originating in the 1950s, characterized by exposed structural materials and plain, massive, often steeply angular geometric forms, typically of unfinished concrete.

  2. a style in art, furniture, jewelry, etc., influenced by this architecture and often characterized by outsized elements or the use of unfinished or roughly textured materials.

Origin of brutalism

1
First recorded in 1795–1805, for literal sense; brutal + -ism; in reference to architecture first used by British architects Alison Smithson (1928–93) and Peter Smithson (1923–2003) in 1953

Other words from brutalism

  • bru·tal·ist, noun, adjective

Words Nearby brutalism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use brutalism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brutalism

brutalism

/ (ˈbruːtəˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. an austere style of architecture characterized by emphasis on such structural materials as undressed concrete and unconcealed service pipes: Also called: new brutalism

Derived forms of brutalism

  • brutalist, noun, adjective

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