modernism

M3O1D2E1R1N1I1S1M3

noun

Modern or contemporary ideas, thought, practices, etc.

Less commonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounmodernism (countable and uncountable, plural modernisms)

plural modernisms

  1. uncountableModern or contemporary ideas, thought, practices, etc.
  2. countableAnything that is characteristic of modernity.
  3. countableuncountableAny of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century.

    Penrod is so referential as to be almost a work of postmodernism—assuming Tarkington could have imagined such a thing with modernism itself just beginning to steamroll over him.

    2004 May, Thomas Mallon, “Hoosiers”, in The Atlantic
  4. countableuncountableA religious movement in the early 20th century, condemned as heretical by Pope Pius X, which tried to reconcile Roman Catholic dogma with modern science and philosophy.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe quality of being current or of the present

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Catalan modernisme
  • modernismeany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Chinese Mandarin 現代主義 /现代主义, 現代派 /现代派
  • 現代主義 /现代主义 (xiàndàizhǔyì)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
  • 現代派 /现代派 (xiàndàipài)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Dutch modernisme
  • modernismeany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Finnish modernismi
  • modernismiany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
French modernisme
  • modernismeany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
German Modernismus
  • Modernismusany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Greek νεωτερισμός
  • νεωτερισμός (neoterismós)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Hindi आधुनिकतावाद
  • आधुनिकतावाद (ādhuniktāvād)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Italian modernismo
  • modernismoany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Japanese モダニズム
  • モダニズム (modanizumu)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Māori angahoutanga
  • angahoutangaany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Norwegian Bokmål modernisme
  • modernismeany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Polish modernizm
  • modernizmany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Portuguese modernismo
  • modernismoany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Russian модерни́зм
  • модерни́зм (modɛrnízm)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Spanish modernismo
  • modernismoany of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Ukrainian модерні́зм
  • модерні́зм (modernízm)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Yiddish מאָדערניזם
  • מאָדערניזם (modernizm)any of several styles of art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that flourished in the 20th century
Cite this entry
APA

modernism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modernism

MLA

“modernism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modernism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modernism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modernism.

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