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Definitions

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behind the times old-fashioned orthodox outdated traditional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.

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

Ulysses Jenkins, the pioneering Los Angeles-born video artist whose avant-garde compositions embodied Black experimentalism, has died.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

But when I got to college and fell madly in love for the first time, I was primed for the Kate Bush version of “Wuthering Heights,” an avant-garde musical number, all shrieks and pleading.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

Mansfield met her second husband, the editor John Middleton Murry, when she submitted a short story to his avant-garde magazine, Rhythm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 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

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.