French word

avant-garde

Pronunciation

IPA/avɑ̃gaʁd/

Meaning

  • adjectiveexperimental

Example

Ce film est très avant-garde.

This film is very experimental.

Illustration for avant-garde (experimental)

More examples

Son look est très avant-garde.

His look is very avant-garde.

Core concept

A style that moves ahead of its era by deliberately breaking established conventions.

Common phrases

  • très avant-garde

    very avant-garde

  • un style avant-garde

    an avant-garde style

Similar words

moderne: Reflecting current tastes or technology without seeming old-fashioned.
original: Distinctive and independently conceived rather than copied from existing models.
audacieux: Bold and willing to challenge conventions through new or risky efforts.
nouveau: Newly created, previously unknown, or recently introduced.

Definition in French

Signale une approche ou un style qui anticipe l'avenir en rompant avec les usages établis.

Word origin

The French expression combines avant, meaning "ahead," with garde, meaning "guard," and shifted from a military vanguard to experimental art and culture in the nineteenth century.

Usage tips

  • As an adjective, avant-garde is invariable in French, so the same form appears with masculine, feminine, singular, and plural nouns.

Other meanings

  • innovativeadjective
  • progressiveadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word