as in liberals
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 modernists
Often, modernists didn’t have a coherent vision of the body so much as a criticism of it.
—
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
But there’s also rare Togo Fireside chairs in a deep tobacco color, the classic Eames lounge chair, and a moody brown Ellison Studios Muse sofa inspired by the Italian modernists of the 1970s.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
There’s a tremendous sense of movement to her prose, combined with a ground-level lens that brings to mind early 20th century modernists.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Conrad Buff was one of the most significant modernists in California who has remained relatively unknown — until now.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2025
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2026
But there’s also rare Togo Fireside chairs in a deep tobacco color, the classic Eames lounge chair, and a moody brown Ellison Studios Muse sofa inspired by the Italian modernists of the 1970s.
—Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 25 Feb. 2026
There’s a tremendous sense of movement to her prose, combined with a ground-level lens that brings to mind early 20th century modernists.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Conrad Buff was one of the most significant modernists in California who has remained relatively unknown — until now.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for modernists
Noun
-
Tad’s subjects were the moderns.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The game happened to be on November 18th, the anniversary of Haitian revolutionaries defeating the French Army in 1803 before declaring independence.—
Albert Samaha,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Until the 1950s, its inmates were Vietnamese revolutionaries – or anyone deemed to be such – and conditions were truly horrendous.—
Tamara Hinson,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Modernists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/modernists. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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