modernist

American  

[mod-er-nist] / ˈmɒd ər nɪst /

noun

1. a person who follows or favors modern ways, tendencies, etc.

2. a person who advocates the study of modern subjects in preference to ancient classics.

3. an adherent of modernism in theological questions.

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adjective

1. of modernists or modernism.

Other Word Forms

• antimodernist noun
• hypermodernist noun
• promodernist adjective

Etymology

Origin of modernist

First recorded in 1580–90; modern + -ist

Example Sentences

Dating from 1920, it stands beside the former North British Diesel Engine Work building, one of the earliest examples of modernist industrial architecture in Scotland.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

It doesn’t necessarily augur well that the Commanders have hired HKS, a modernist architecture firm that has designed a handful of new stadiums, as the lead designer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The four-storey modernist building, which features a Japanese garden, will host a day-long gathering of design, food and music curated by chief creative Nigo.

From Barron's • Jan. 19, 2026

Renderings of the structure, which is situated in Symphony Park, show a cubed modernist building with a large awning that stretches over a bustling entry plaza to provide shade.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

With unbelievable nerve, Picasso, along with Georges Braque, a housepainter turned modernist painter, eliminated almost all color and perspective from their work.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day