minimalism
noun
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In the 1960s, a few composers, including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams, began writing music inspired by the music of India and Southeast Asia, often with a quick pulsing beat and chords that are repeated quickly over and over while small changes are slowly introduced. Minimalist art, which began appearing around the same time, tries to strip away all personal elements, often leaving only pure geometric forms; you may have seen the plain silver boxes of Donald Judd, or the straight neon tubes of Bruce Nauman. In literature, the stripped-down fiction of Samuel Beckett and Raymond Carver is often considered minimalist. But there's a real question whether these various types of minimalism should even be considered the same concept.
Examples of minimalism in a Sentence
Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 14 May 2026
The focus here is skin-tone accuracy, soft highlights, and polished minimalism.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Don’t let the luxury trappings distract you from Charlie Mitchell’s audacious tasting menu, which channels soul-food maximalism through Japanese minimalism.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Dow notes that for those who are drawn to minimalism, the clean lines and chrome fittings of these cabinets are a perfect match—and the cabinets come in many colorways or can be spray painted.
—Lacey Ramburger, The Spruce, 11 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Minimalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimalism. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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