postmodernism

American  

[pohst-mod-er-niz-uhm] / poʊstˈmɒd ərˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) any of a number of trends or movements in the arts and literature developing in the 1970s in reaction to or rejection of the dogma, principles, or practices of established modernism, especially a movement in architecture and the decorative arts running counter to the practice and influence of the International Style and encouraging the use of elements from historical vernacular styles and often playful illusion, decoration, and complexity.

---

postmodernism Cultural  

1. A movement, particularly in architecture, that reacted against the pared-down modern school by reintroducing classical and traditional elements of style. An example of this style is Philip Johnson's AT&T Building in New York City.

---

Other Word Forms

• postmodernist noun

Etymology

Origin of postmodernism

First recorded in 1970–75; post- + modernism

Example Sentences

The author of 20 books including “Giles Goat-Boy” and “The Sot-Weed Factor,” Barth was a college writing instructor who advocated for postmodernism to literature, saying old forms were used up and new approaches were needed.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 2, 2024

At REDCAT, where the Wooster Group returned Wednesday for a five-day run of “The Mother,” techno postmodernism finds its political heart.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2023

As a bit of postmodernism injected into a fantasy novel, it's thought-provoking.

From Salon • Oct. 2, 2022

The hangover that I have from all of the postmodernism of my previous work and the past 50 years of culture is the irony as a shield.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2022

What is the driving force behind relativism and postmodernism?

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton