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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

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Etymology

Origin of new wave

First recorded in 1955–60

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

new wave New Wave

Writing about the soundtrack, The Denver Post’s Michael Booth said the music was “not interesting enough to save this bauble,” and that Coppola “doesn’t even have the conviction to remain new wave throughout.”

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

"In this new wave, it's women who are taking the lead, with writing often tinged with feminism, but also often quite dark and violent, punctuated by surreal touches," she noted.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

Admitting the government has not done enough in recent years to prevent gender-based violence, he announced a new wave of measures to help protect women and girls.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

A new wave of battery facilities are being built in or near densely populated areas, where some residents and local officials worry about the risk of fires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

There's a rise in the cheering; a new wave of runners must be moving through the hall of people.

From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi

The 1979 movie version, a landmark of the Aussie New Wave, established the careers of director Gillian Armstrong, actress Judy Davis and the recently departed New Zealander Sam Neill.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 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

Which fits in well with the movie-mad world of Godard and the community of French New Wave filmmakers in “Nouvelle Vague.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025

Lately, Park was really into New Wave music.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

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