hard-edge

American  

[hahrd-ej] / ˈhɑrdˌɛdʒ /

adjective

1. 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

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

---

Etymology

Origin of hard-edge

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hard-edge

He is known for larger-than-life sculptures and hard-edge paintings that feature his hybrid cartoon characters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

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

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

But where Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein emulated the clean, hard-edge look of commercial art, Guston continued to paint in a messy, intuitive fashion.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 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