as in archaism
a way of saying something that is particular to the present day; a modern speech form
modernisms like "blog" and "life hack"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of modernism
But the appeal of midcentury modernism, complete with clean lines and expansive windows, has transcended time.
—
Jackie Valley, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025
The dress evokes the 19th-century quilts of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, created by a rural collective of African American women whose improvisational compositions are now recognized as foundational to American modernism.
—Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
Built during the Great Depression, the house was a showpiece for both what Sanders could do and what modernism could be.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2025
Adam West’s Former Palm Springs Home Has Been Transformed Into a Contemporary Bat Cave
A rustic wooden wall, exposed beams, and a creamy beige hue trailing the foyer evoke the warm, inviting feel of classic desert modernism.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for modernism
Jackie Valley, Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2025
The dress evokes the 19th-century quilts of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, created by a rural collective of African American women whose improvisational compositions are now recognized as foundational to American modernism.
—Najha Zigbi-Johnson, Essence, 30 Apr. 2025
Built during the Great Depression, the house was a showpiece for both what Sanders could do and what modernism could be.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2025
Adam West’s Former Palm Springs Home Has Been Transformed Into a Contemporary Bat Cave
A rustic wooden wall, exposed beams, and a creamy beige hue trailing the foyer evoke the warm, inviting feel of classic desert modernism.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for modernism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernism
Noun
-
Narrator Mary Lewis, raised in Newfoundland herself, delivers the book in a manner that seems stilted at first but grows more appealing as Lewis moves further into the story, with its pleasing archaisms and evocation of balked communication.—
Katherine A. Powers,
Washington Post,
21 Jan. 2020
-
That phrase, which may strike some young American ears as an archaism if not an oxymoron, is worth unpacking, and Amis provides readers with a pocket account of the historical preconditions of his extravagant fame.—
A.O. SCOTT,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2018
Noun
-
In simple terms, Gueye is a prominent presence off the ball, performing a large volume of actions, and doing so with a high success rate.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
During his first term, Trump vowed to end the HIV epidemic in the United States by 2030.—
Skyler Swisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Now, without finding a new emblem to rally behind, Democrats may be doing little more than battling that other neologism: MAGA.—
Kevin M. Schultz,
The Conversation,
8 May 2025
-
The term is not recognized in standard dictionaries and appears to be a neologism coined by Trump.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This could involve helping systems learn colloquialisms and proper usages of terms.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Mar. 2025
-
You would be forgiven for assuming this a playful colloquialism, perhaps revealing a tenderness to the hunt.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That much of the act’s power can be destroyed by tweaking its definition of one phrase reveals its central weakness.—
Emma Marris,
The Atlantic,
25 May 2025
-
The impetus to travel overland to Afghanistan at 19 came from a need — for want of a better phrase — to discover something within myself, not to discover Afghanistan.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
From the July/August 2014 issue: The power of two McCartney and John Lennon were mesmerized by these nonsensical yet lyrical coinages.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2025
-
No need for foolishly wasting precious coinage on chicken scratching.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
With his vocabulary and euphemisms clearly formed by his affinity for fantasy fiction and medieval tales of knights and kings, Connor strikes an indelible impression on the show.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 May 2025
-
The claim that euphemisms for death are somehow unique to Vietnamese culture is absurd in the extreme.—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Noun
-
The use of dance and movement, costuming and even facial expressions during the performance can be as effective, even more so, than words that convey the weight of these gender expectations.—
David L. Coddon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2025
-
Participants will discover the creative possibilities of technology in narrative creation, including the application of Afrofuturism to enhance representation and expression.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Modernism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernism. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share