hard-edge

American

[hahrd-ej] / ˈhɑrdˌɛdʒ /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of a style of abstract painting associated with the 1960s and marked chiefly by sharply outlined geometric or nongeometric forms.

hard-edge British

adjective

of, relating to, or denoting a style of painting in which vividly coloured subjects are clearly delineated

"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 hard-edge

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

Since the 1950s, key figures launched important genres, including hard-edge abstract painter John McLaughlin, harbinger of Light and Space perceptual art, and assemblage master Wallace Berman.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

Sonic Industrialism: Sound elements are more popular than ever, and this mode blends intangible noise with the hard-edge materials of industry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Dark gray walls and a sisal carpet make the perfect setting for early-2000s works by the English hard-edge painter Bridget Riley, all featuring her signature rolling, serif-like waves of lucid color.

From New York Times • May 11, 2023

About half of the 21 paintings on exhibit were made since 2010 and feature the cunning interplay of soft colors and hard-edge forms.

From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2023

Mulholland, who was dressed in classic rockabilly style in head-to-toe denim, plays gritty rock music that recalls hard-edge Michigan legends such as the Stooges and the MC5.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 15, 2023

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023