What does modernism mean?
Modernism names a broad cultural and artistic outlook that developed especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It sought to express contemporary life through experimentation, abstraction, new technologies, and a willingness to challenge inherited artistic, architectural, and literary conventions. In literature, modernism often involves disrupted narratives, multiple perspectives, and an attention to subjective experience. In architecture and design, it is associated with functionalism, simple geometric forms, and materials such as concrete, steel, and glass. The term is not limited to one style or institution; writers and artists have used it for different regional, national, and disciplinary versions of a modern break with tradition. Because of its broad reach, modernism can refer either to particular historical movements or more generally to an approach that values innovation and experimentation over conventional forms.
nounModernism is a broad cultural and artistic movement that emphasizes innovation, experimentation, and modern life, often challenging traditional forms and conventions. In architecture and design, it refers particularly to the use of new materials, simplified forms, and functional approaches.
- A cultural, intellectual, and artistic movement characterized by a rejection of traditional forms and an emphasis on innovation and modern experience.
- A style or approach in architecture, design, literature, or the visual arts associated with modern materials, simplified forms, experimentation, and functionalism.
"The novel is regarded as a major work of literary modernism because it experiments with narrative structure and perspective."
"Her study of poetry and painting explores the relationship between literary modernism and early twentieth-century visual culture."
"The building is celebrated as an example of architectural modernism, with clean lines, open interiors, and extensive use of concrete and glass."
Plural forms are uncommon; when used, they usually refer to distinct regional, national, disciplinary, or historical forms of modernism.
"The exhibition compares several different modernisms that developed independently across Europe and the Americas."
Modernism is less a single style than a family of experiments that asked whether art and design could break free from inherited conventions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does modernism come from?
The word derives from modern, which comes through Old French moderne from Latin modernus, meaning “recent” or “now.” Modernism was formed in English in the early twentieth century as a term for cultural and artistic movements associated with modern life. Related forms include modernist, modernity, and modernize, all sharing the same underlying idea of present-day or newly developing conditions.
Related word forms
How modernism is actually used
The term is commonly used for movements and styles, especially in literature, architecture, design, and the visual arts. It can sometimes suggest a broader cultural break with the past, so context helps distinguish a specific movement from the general idea of being modern.
Easily confused with modernism
Modernism generally refers to the early-to-mid-20th-century movement that broke with traditional forms, whereas postmodernism describes later approaches that question or critique modernism’s assumptions.
Modernism is an artistic, cultural, or intellectual movement, while modernization is the process of making institutions, systems, or practices more modern.