moderne

American  

[moh-dairn, muh-] / moʊˈdɛərn, mə- /

adjective

1. pretentiously modern; striving to appear modern but lacking style or conviction.

2. (often initial capital letter) of or noting a style of decorative art and architecture of the 1930s and 1940s that was influenced by streamlined industrial design of airplanes, ships, and cars: usually considered to be a later development of art deco.

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moderne British  

/ məˈdɛən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the style of architecture and design, prevalent in Europe and the US in the late 1920s and 1930s, typified by the use of straight lines, tubular chromed steel frames, contrasting inlaid woods, etc Compare Art Deco

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Etymology

Origin of moderne

< French: modern

Example Sentences

That’s part of the job description for owning a 1941 art moderne landmark.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2022

Built in 1932, the moderne bridge suffered from what engineers called “concrete cancer,” continually disintegrating due to a chemical reaction, and had to be replaced.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 9, 2022

In San Francisco, a son of a Russian Orthodox priest, Victor Arnautoff, depicted the life of Washington at a streamlined art moderne high school bearing the leader’s name.

From The Guardian • May 26, 2019

A construction boom on the heels of World War II had wiped out a first round of capital landmarks: grand federal buildings from the 1790s, art moderne structures from the 1930s.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2016

Avec notre style moderne, tout grimace dans Homère, et ses héros semblent des grotesques qui font les graves et les fiers.—Pensées de J. Joubert, p.

From Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by Higginson, Thomas Wentworth