as in liberal
a person with very modern ideas
a time when Paris was the center of the universe for modernists in the art world
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Recent Examples of modernist
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Better just to glimpse, out of the corner of his eye, the obelisk with its modernist air rising up in the center of the plaza and only get a fleeting, distant view of the wind rose at its base.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Aman’s modernist take on a classic ski chalet with minimalistic Asian influences is very much in keeping with the brand's aesthetic.
—Sophie Knight, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Maybourne tapped French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte to transform a vacant property into a modernist hangout filled with head-turning artwork.
—Mary Winston Nicklin, AFAR Media, 20 Jan. 2026
In April, a modernist Westchester home built for a Rockefeller hit the market for $12 million.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
The Modulightor is not one of those pristine modernist residences that lack any signs that a human might have resided there.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 13 Jan. 2026
Notably, Hotel Cambridge was designed by the Hungarian Brazilian architect Francisco Beck as a luxurious seventeen-story tower that traded his early Art Deco style for a Brazilian mid-century modernist aesthetic of clean lines, elegant curves, and modular windows.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Eight artworks by Matisse were taken in the heist, as well as five pieces by Brazilian modernist painter Candido Portinari.
—CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
This is not to deny the critical potential of modernist experimentation.
—Michael Cowan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Mulier ultimately heated up the house to the boiling point with original, inventive designs, giving an experimental, modernist spin to Alaïa’s legacy of empowering, feminine and sculptural fashions.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
The modernist mountain lodge stands out in the historic town with a color palette of snow white, warm woods, and rust, and airiness conveyed by white oak millwork and textured stone mosaics.
—Amy Tara Koch, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2026
Choices ranged from the Falun copper mine, which once furnished half of Europe’s copper, to the poet Edith Södergran, one of the first women to publish a modernist art manifesto.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
In a modernist era of abrasion and velocity—the now and the next, chasing each other at warp speed—Reilly offered a work of radical non-provocation.
—Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
For decades Shtok was known as the great disappearing act of Yiddish literature—a modernist story writer who blazed bright in the 1920s before vanishing from the literary scene and, it was assumed, dying young.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
There are clean lines for the modernist chintzy florals for the grandma-core enthusiast, and there’s high-gloss earthenware for an artisanal touch.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
Harkening back to the out-of-this-world aesthetics that won them broad acclaim for Poor Things, the commercial opens on a crumbling modernist edifice on a rocky outcrop in a stormy ocean.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Feb. 2026
Better just to glimpse, out of the corner of his eye, the obelisk with its modernist air rising up in the center of the plaza and only get a fleeting, distant view of the wind rose at its base.
—Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Aman’s modernist take on a classic ski chalet with minimalistic Asian influences is very much in keeping with the brand's aesthetic.
—Sophie Knight, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Maybourne tapped French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte to transform a vacant property into a modernist hangout filled with head-turning artwork.
—Mary Winston Nicklin, AFAR Media, 20 Jan. 2026
In April, a modernist Westchester home built for a Rockefeller hit the market for $12 million.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2026
The Modulightor is not one of those pristine modernist residences that lack any signs that a human might have resided there.
—Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 13 Jan. 2026
Notably, Hotel Cambridge was designed by the Hungarian Brazilian architect Francisco Beck as a luxurious seventeen-story tower that traded his early Art Deco style for a Brazilian mid-century modernist aesthetic of clean lines, elegant curves, and modular windows.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
Eight artworks by Matisse were taken in the heist, as well as five pieces by Brazilian modernist painter Candido Portinari.
—CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Perhaps the most famous home in Los Angeles, The Stahl House, designed by modernist master Pierre Koenig, has inspired countless architecture nerds.
—Hadley Meares, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
This is not to deny the critical potential of modernist experimentation.
—Michael Cowan, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2026
Mulier ultimately heated up the house to the boiling point with original, inventive designs, giving an experimental, modernist spin to Alaïa’s legacy of empowering, feminine and sculptural fashions.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 30 Jan. 2026
The modernist mountain lodge stands out in the historic town with a color palette of snow white, warm woods, and rust, and airiness conveyed by white oak millwork and textured stone mosaics.
—Amy Tara Koch, Robb Report, 29 Jan. 2026
Choices ranged from the Falun copper mine, which once furnished half of Europe’s copper, to the poet Edith Södergran, one of the first women to publish a modernist art manifesto.
—Colton Valentine, New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2026
In a modernist era of abrasion and velocity—the now and the next, chasing each other at warp speed—Reilly offered a work of radical non-provocation.
—Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
For decades Shtok was known as the great disappearing act of Yiddish literature—a modernist story writer who blazed bright in the 1920s before vanishing from the literary scene and, it was assumed, dying young.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
There are clean lines for the modernist chintzy florals for the grandma-core enthusiast, and there’s high-gloss earthenware for an artisanal touch.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernist
Noun
-
This year, the party has another chance to try something other than nominating a conventional liberal who loses and then gets to run an NGO.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Though Reiner, a lifelong liberal, disagreed with Kirk's conservative beliefs, the filmmaker's remarks about the incident emphasized the importance of nonviolence.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The riots are considered the spark that ignited the modern LGBTQ+-rights movement.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Where Iran’s protests stand One month after Iran was rocked by the beginning of the deadliest crackdown in its modern history, the full toll of the regime’s response to nationwide protests is still coming into focus.—
Somayeh Malekian,
ABC News,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With that mental reframing, the American (and then French and other) revolutionaries changed not just their own country, but the world.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In this topsy-turvy world, Erdoğan was the revolutionary, and the representatives of leftist institutions and unions were the rotten elites.—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The contemporary adaptation stars Ashton James (Boxcutter) in the title role of Dean Youngblood, a hockey prodigy who travels from Detroit to Canada to join the Hamilton Mustangs in pursuit of his professional hockey dreams.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
True to her signature flair for whimsy, Samuel brought in lots of playful elements featuring warm colors, bright patterns, and contemporary silhouettes.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Others suggested the 50-foot steel sculpture was a bird, a horse, a Viking ship, a baboon or a modernistic representation of Picasso’s dog.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Along with the astonishing views of the Uinta Mountains, the Aspen Camp neighborhood inside the gates of the exclusive Promontory community captivates with a collection of ultramodern homes designed to immerse residents in Park City’s rugged beauty.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Inspired by a pile of cardboard and constructed using the same material, Frank Gehry’s luxe Wiggle chair functions as the perfect compact statement piece that will slot right in next to a library bookshelf or stand on its on in an ultramodern space.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Her newer work leans into themes that reflect her present-day experiences, with a deliberate focus on adult perspectives and the complexities of womanhood.—
Kristen Wisneski,
Billboard,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Balancing history with present-day reporting can be challenging.—
Kynala Phillips,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
To transmit more power, there are two ways – either a larger hose (thicker cables and higher current) or higher pressure (higher voltage).—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
The new store will create 17 additional jobs and will relocate 12 current employees to the new location.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modernist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernist. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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