Definition

1. Noun:
   • A movement in the arts and literature: A style or movement in art, architecture, literature, etc., that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by a deliberate departure from tradition and the use of innovative forms of expression.
   • Modern thought, character, or practice: The quality or state of being modern; sympathy with or conformity to modern ideas, styles, or practices.
   • A theological movement: Specifically in Roman Catholic thought in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an effort to interpret traditional beliefs according to contemporary philosophical and scientific thought.

Usage

• In art and culture: "Modernism" is used to describe the broad cultural movement that sought to align artistic and literary forms with the radical changes in Western society at the turn of the 20th century.
• As a quality: It can refer to the adoption of contemporary ideas or styles.
• In religious context: It refers to a specific historical movement within Christianity.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The poetry of T.S. Eliot is a landmark of literary modernism.
  • The building's design reflects a clear break from tradition, embracing modernism in its use of glass and steel.
  • His thinking was influenced by theological modernism.

Advanced Usage

• "High modernism": Refers to the period of the most radical and definitive modernist works, often in the early 20th century.

  • The novels of James Joyce and Virginia Woolf are considered pinnacles of high modernism.

• "Late modernism": Describes the continuation or evolution of modernist tendencies after World War II.

  • The composer's later works are often categorized as late modernism.

Variants and Related Words

• Modernist (noun/adjective): A person who follows or supports modern ideas, styles, or methods in art, literature, or religion; relating to modernism.
  • He was a leading modernist architect.
• Modernity (noun): The quality or condition of being modern; the modern era.
  • The novel explores the experience of modernity in the city.
• Modernize (verb): To adapt something to modern needs or habits.
  • The company plans to modernize its factories.

Synonyms

• Innovation: The introduction of new ideas or methods.
• Avant-garde: New and experimental ideas, especially in the arts.
• Contemporary style: The style of the present time.

Antonyms

• Traditionalism: Adherence to tradition, especially in cultural or religious practice.
• Conservatism: Commitment to traditional values and ideas with opposition to change.
• Classicism: The following of ancient Greek or Roman principles and style in art and literature.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Make it new": A phrase associated with the modernist poet Ezra Pound, encapsulating the modernist desire to break with the past.
• Stream of consciousness: A narrative mode associated with modernist literature that depicts the multitudinous thoughts and feelings passing through the mind.
• Form follows function: A principle associated with modernist architecture and design.

Noun

1. practices typical of contemporary life or thought
2. the quality of being current or of the present
   • a shopping mall would instill a spirit of modernity into this village
3. genre of art and literature that makes a self-conscious break with previous genres