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postmodern

[ pohst-mod-ern ]
/ poʊstˈmɒd ərn /

adjective

noting or pertaining to architecture of the late 20th century, appearing in the 1960s, that consciously uses complex forms, fantasy, and allusions to historic styles, in contrast to the austere forms and emphasis on utility of standard modern architecture.
extremely modern; cutting-edge: postmodern kids who grew up on MTV.

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Origin of postmodern

First recorded in 1945–50; post- + modern

Words nearby postmodern

postmillenarianism, postmillennial, postmillennialism, postminimalism, postmistress, postmodern, postmodernism, postmortem, postmortem delivery, postmortem examination, postmortem livedo
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for postmodern

British Dictionary definitions for postmodern

postmodern
/ (pəʊstˈmɒdən) /

adjective

(in the arts, architecture, etc) characteristic of a style and school of thought that rejects the dogma and practices of any form of modernism; in architecture, contrasting with international modernism and featuring elements from several periods, esp the Classical, often with ironic use of decoration

Derived forms of postmodern

postmodernism, nounpostmodernist, noun, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012