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• new wave
  new wave

  noun

  a movement, trend, or vogue, as in art, literature, or politics, that breaks with traditional concepts, values, techniques, or the like.
• New Wave
  New Wave

  noun

  a movement in the French cinema of the 1960s, led by such directors as Godard, Truffaut, and Resnais, characterized by a fluid use of the camera and an abandonment of traditional editing techniques

new wave

American  

noun

1. a movement, trend, or vogue, as in art, literature, or politics, that breaks with traditional concepts, values, techniques, or the like.

2. (often initial capital letters) a group of leaders or representatives of such a movement, especially of French film directors of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

3. (often initial capital letters) a largely minimalist but emotionally intense style of rock music, being an outgrowth of punk rock in the late 1970s, typified by spare or repetitive arrangements, and emphasizing energetic, unpolished performance.

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New Wave ¹ British  

noun

1. Also known as: La Nouvelle Vague.  a movement in the French cinema of the 1960s, led by such directors as Godard, Truffaut, and Resnais, characterized by a fluid use of the camera and an abandonment of traditional editing techniques

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New Wave ² British  

noun

1. rock music of the late 1970s, related to punk but more complex: sometimes used to include punk

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new wave ³ British  

noun

1. a movement in art, film-making, politics, etc, that consciously breaks with traditional ideas

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Other Word Forms

• newwaver
  noun
• new-wave
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of new wave

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

new wave New Wave

In October 2026, a new wave of cuts to CalFresh will decrease the federal government’s contribution to CalFresh from 50% to 25%, leaving a larger portion of costs to states, counties and regional organizations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

For Jutta Ambrositsch, a pioneering figure among the new wave of Viennese winemakers, "the major problem is insensitive and careless real estate development in the 'heurigen areas'".

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

However, the outlook for trade during the rest of the year has been clouded by a new wave of tariff increases in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal also began a new wave of investment in their academies after Brexit made it impossible to sign overseas players under the age of 18.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

The resurrection of Malcolm X also precipitated a new wave of unauthorized exploitation of his image.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

“I’m thankful for the huge cultural impact that the Queer New Wave had — I’m so proud to be a part of it,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Bohm, who died last year at 86, was a highly respected film writer, actor and academic, a veteran of Germany’s New Wave.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

The band’s arresting sound was evident from their very first single, “Just What I Needed”: Synthesizer melodies and minimalist song structures combined with arena-ready guitar solos to create an unflappable New Wave blend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

There’s some nostalgia involved, sure, tied up with memories of dancing with your goth girlfriends at New Wave Dance Night, but all three of those songs on a random Friday in Ohio were total steamrollers.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2025

He could get back to New Wave in November, after he got his driver's license.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell