Modernist Meaning

/mˈɑdərnɪst/
C1

Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

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adjOf, or relating to modernism.

adjOf, relating to, or characteristic of modernism.

The artist was a famous modernist painter.
Her modernist style influenced many others.
The architect designed a stunning modernist building in the city.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ painter refused to use realistic colors and instead used bold shapes.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The museum's new exhibit features several works by a famous ____ artist who was known for her very unusual and abstract style.

Etymology tree English modern Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist English modernist From modern + -ist.

"Watercolor is not just a romantic or old-fashioned medium, said Mr. [Thomas W.] Schaller, a renderer who began his career as an architect in Boston, but a way “to apply a sense of luminosity to more modernist design.”" — 2003 September 28, David W[illiam] Dunlap, “The Design Image vs. the Reality”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Oct 2013:
"It survived the overreach of progress once before, escaping demolition and rebuilding in the 1970s. That survival was a triumph against the "stridently modernist" plans then put forth." — 2025 February 5, Dr Joseph Brennan, “Railway heritage saved in 2024”, in RAIL, number 1028, page 53, about Liverpool Street station in London:

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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ painter refused to use realistic colors and instead used bold shapes.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The museum's new exhibit features several works by a famous ____ artist who was known for her very unusual and abstract style.

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