Meanings
nounpostmodernism (usually uncountable, plural postmodernisms)
plural postmodernisms
- uncountableusuallyAny style in art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that reacts against an earlier modernist movement.
- uncountableusuallyAn attitude of skepticism or irony toward modernist ideologies, often questioning the assumptions of Enlightenment rationality and rejecting the idea of objective truth.
1 more example
The most famous definition of postmodernism is Lyotard's: “I define postmodern as incredulity towards metanarratives.” […] To accept Lyotard's definition of postmodernism is to accept the premise that postmodernism is the first movement since the Enlightenment to think critically about such narratives.
2001, Daniel Gordon, editor, Postmodernism and the Enlightenment, Routledge, →ISBN, page 202
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*pós
- Proto-Indo-European*pósti
- Proto-Italic*posti
- Old Latinposte
- Latinpost
- Englishpost-
- Englishmodern
- Englishmodernism
- Englishpostmodernism
Translations
Bulgarian постмодерни́зъм
- постмодерни́зъм (postmodernízăm)a style of art, literature, etc
Catalan postmodernisme
- postmodernismea style of art, literature, etc
Chinese Cantonese 後現代主義 /后现代主义, 后现代主义
- 後現代主義 /后现代主义 (hau⁶ jin⁶ doi⁶ zyu² ji⁶)a style of art, literature, etc
- 后现代主义 (hau⁶ jin⁶ doi⁶ zyu² ji⁶)a style of art, literature, etc
Chinese Mandarin 後現代主義 /后现代主义
- 後現代主義 /后现代主义 (hòuxiàndàizhǔyì)a style of art, literature, etc
Czech postmoderna
- postmodernaa style of art, literature, etc
Danish postmodernisme
- postmodernismea style of art, literature, etc
Dutch postmodernisme
- postmodernismea style of art, literature, etc
Esperanto postmodernismo
- postmodernismoa style of art, literature, etc
Estonian postmodernism
- postmodernisma style of art, literature, etc
Finnish postmodernismi
- postmodernismia style of art, literature, etc
French post-modernisme, postmodernisme
- post-modernismea style of art, literature, etc
- postmodernismea style of art, literature, etc
German Postmoderne, Postmodernismus
- Postmodernea style of art, literature, etc
- Postmodernismusa style of art, literature, etc
Greek μεταμοντερισμός
- μεταμοντερισμός (metamonterismós)a style of art, literature, etc
Hebrew פוסטמודרניזם
- פוסטמודרניזםa style of art, literature, etc
Hindi उत्तर-आधुनिकतावाद
- उत्तर-आधुनिकतावाद (uttar-ādhuniktāvād)a style of art, literature, etc
Hungarian posztmodern
- posztmoderna style of art, literature, etc
Icelandic póstmódernismi
- póstmódernismia style of art, literature, etc
Indonesian posmodernisme
- posmodernismea style of art, literature, etc
Irish iarnua-aoiseachas
- iarnua-aoiseachasa style of art, literature, etc
Italian postmodernismo
- postmodernismoa style of art, literature, etc
Japanese ポストモダニズム
- ポストモダニズム (posutomodanizumu)a style of art, literature, etc
Korean 포스트모더니즘
- 포스트모더니즘 (poseuteumodeonijeum)a style of art, literature, etc
Lithuanian postmodernizmas
- postmodernizmasa style of art, literature, etc
Malay postmodenisme
- postmodenismea style of art, literature, etc
Māori angatuahoutanga
- angatuahoutangaa style of art, literature, etc
Norwegian Bokmål postmodernisme
- postmodernismea style of art, literature, etc
Persian پسانوگرایی
- پسانوگراییa style of art, literature, etc
Polish postmodernizm
- postmodernizma style of art, literature, etc
Portuguese pós-modernismo
- pós-modernismoa style of art, literature, etc
Romanian postmodernism
- postmodernisma style of art, literature, etc
Russian постмодерни́зм
- постмодерни́зм (postmodɛrnízm)a style of art, literature, etc
Slovak postmoderna
- postmodernaa style of art, literature, etc
Spanish postmodernidad, posmodernismo
- postmodernidada style of art, literature, etc
- posmodernismoa style of art, literature, etc
Swedish postmodernism
- postmodernisma style of art, literature, etc
Tamil பின்நவீனத்துவம்
- பின்நவீனத்துவம் (piṉnavīṉattuvam)a style of art, literature, etc
Turkish postmodernizm
- postmodernizma style of art, literature, etc
Ukrainian постмодерні́зм
- постмодерні́зм (postmodernízm)a style of art, literature, etc
Vietnamese trường phái hậu hiện đại
- trường phái hậu hiện đạia style of art, literature, etc
Cite this entry
APA
postmodernism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/postmodernism
MLA
“postmodernism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/postmodernism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “postmodernism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/postmodernism.
Source: postmodernism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.