minimalism

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UK/ˈmɪnɪməlɪzəm/US/ˈmɪn.ə.məl.ɪz.əm/US[ˈmɪn.ə.mɫ̩.ɪz.m̩]

noun

A style of art that emphasises extreme simplicity of form.

Similar
minimal artreductivism
OriginEnglish minimal ← Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? ← Latin minimum →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounminimalism (countable and uncountable, plural minimalisms)

plural minimalisms

  1. countableuncountableartA style of art that emphasises extreme simplicity of form.
  2. countableuncountableentertainmentA style of music that emphasises extreme simplicity of rhythms and melodic forms to achieve a trancelike effect.
  3. countableuncountableOf simple living, the intentional reduction of material possessions and distractions.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounan art movement in sculpture and painting that began in the 1950s and emphasized extreme simplification of form and color

Similar
minimal artreductivism
Broader
artistic movementart movement
Also see
reductivism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂w-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂urós
  3. Proto-Italic*pauros
  4. Old Latinparvos
  5. Latinparvus
  6. Latinminimus
  7. Latinminimum
  8. Englishminimum
  9. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  11. Englishminimal
  12. Englishminimalism

From minimal + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan minimalisme, minimalisme
  • minimalismestyle of art
  • minimalismestyle of music
Chinese Mandarin {{t+|1=cmn|2=極簡主義|tr=jíjiǎn zhǔyì}}
  • {{t+|1=cmn|2=極簡主義|tr=jíjiǎn zhǔyì}}style of art
Czech minimalismus, minimalismus
  • minimalismusstyle of art
  • minimalismusstyle of music
Dutch minimalisme, minimalisme
  • minimalismestyle of art
  • minimalismestyle of music
Esperanto minimumismo, minimumismo
  • minimumismostyle of art
  • minimumismostyle of music
Finnish minimalismi
  • minimalismistyle of art
French minimalisme
  • minimalismestyle of art
Greek μινιμαλισμός, μινιμαλισμός
  • μινιμαλισμός (minimalismós)style of art
  • μινιμαλισμός (minimalismós)style of music
Hungarian minimalizmus, minimalizmus
  • minimalizmusstyle of art
  • minimalizmusstyle of music
Irish íostachas, íostachas
  • íostachasstyle of art
  • íostachasstyle of music
Italian minimalismo, minimalismo
  • minimalismostyle of art
  • minimalismostyle of music
Polish minimalizm, minimalizm
  • minimalizmstyle of art
  • minimalizmstyle of music
Portuguese minimalismo, minimalismo
  • minimalismostyle of art
  • minimalismostyle of music
Russian минимали́зм, минимали́зм
  • минимали́зм (minimalízm)style of art
  • минимали́зм (minimalízm)style of music
Spanish minimalismo, minimalismo
  • minimalismostyle of art
  • minimalismostyle of music
Swedish minimalism, minimalism
  • minimalismstyle of art
  • minimalismstyle of music
Tagalog minimalismo, minimalismo
  • minimalismostyle of art
  • minimalismostyle of music
Ukrainian мінімалі́зм, мінімалі́зм
  • мінімалі́зм (minimalízm)style of art
  • мінімалі́зм (minimalízm)style of music
Welsh minimaliaeth, minimaliaeth
  • minimaliaethstyle of art
  • minimaliaethstyle of music
Cite this entry
APA

minimalism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minimalism

MLA

“minimalism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minimalism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “minimalism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minimalism.

Source: minimalism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.