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.

See Examples For:

hard-edge

Still, some within and around the court saw him as the court’s glue, bringing levity in his interactions with his colleagues and avoiding hard-edge commentary in his opinions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

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

How the hard-edge Joel from Season 1 became the softly anguished therapy patient of Season 2.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2025

Her treatment zeroes in on hard-edge geometric abstraction.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 14, 2023

On songs like the Creedence Clearwater Revival-tinged “Rich Daddy,” the band made the move from hard-edge barkers to uniquely grooving blues-punk dynamo.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

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