avant-garde

[uh-vahnt-gahrd, uh-vant-, av-ahnt-, ah-vahnt-, a-vahn-gard] / əˌvɑntˈgɑrd, əˌvænt-, ˌæv ɑnt-, ˌɑ vɑnt-, a vɑ̃ˈgard /

ADJECTIVE

cutting-edge

Synonyms

STRONGEST

advanced ahead of its time cutting-edge experimental groundbreaking innovative innovatory inventive leading-edge modern new new-wave original pioneering progressive revolutionary state-of-the-art trailblazing ultramodern unorthodox

STRONG

daring forward-looking forward-thinking hip last-word nonconformist off the beaten path radical

WEAK

Bohemian offbeat unconventional unfamiliar unorthodox untraditional way-out

Antonyms

STRONGEST

behind the times old-fashioned orthodox outdated traditional

STRONG

conservative moderate

WEAK

conventional

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Perec was a member of Oulipo, an avant-garde circle of writers and mathematicians who believed that arbitrary rules imposed in advance of writing were the path to creative discovery.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

By 1974, it was Tchaikovsky one moment and a wonderfully crazy avant-garde opera the next.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Across the gold-leaf ground, horsemen of the avant-garde charge into the indigo ocean, firing arrows in pursuit of the fleeing Taira clan boats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

And the comparison to Bowie’s West German sojourn is apt: working with his producers, Styles has clearly immersed himself in the avant-garde, taking chances, and embracing idiosyncrasy.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

Nor do I know whether accepting the lesson has placed me in the rear or in the avant-garde.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Vocabulary lists containing avant-garde

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