avant-garde
/ˌævɒ̃ ˈɡɑːd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌævɑ̃ː ˈɡɑːrd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌä-ˌvän(t)-ˈgärd ˌa-; ə-ˈvänt-ˌgärd; ˌa-ˌvōⁿ-ˈgärd, ˌa-ˌvȯn(t)-ˈgärd/ (ame, mw)
avant-garde — adjective
1. Describing a work, performance, or idea that deliberately breaks away from accep
Describing a work, performance, or idea that deliberately breaks away from accepted traditions and introduces new, experimental techniques or approaches.
The museum's new wing displays avant-garde sculptures made from discarded electronic waste.
avant-garde sculptures
Kenji composed an avant-garde piece that combines the shakuhachi flute with electronic beats.
Dr. Adebayo's avant-garde teaching methods replace lectures with hands-on community projects.
The dance troupe's latest production is highly avant-garde and uses no musical score at all.
Fatima's avant-garde novel switches between three narrators living in different centuries.
- innovative
focuses on introducing new methods or ideas, but without the sense of challenging established norms
- experimental
stresses trying out untested approaches, often in a tentative way
- pioneering
suggests being the first to develop something, with a lasting impact
- cutting-edge
implies being at the forefront of current developments, often in technology as well as the arts
- conservative
favours tradition and resists change
- conventional
follows accepted standards without deviation
文法句型
avant-garde + noun
be + avant-garde
用法筆記
Commonly placed before a noun (avant-garde film, avant-garde design) but also used after a linking verb (The play feels very avant-garde). Avoid using with 'very' in formal writing.
常見錯誤
avant-garde — noun
1. A group of artists, writers, and performers who actively challenge accepted conv
A group of artists, writers, and performers who actively challenge accepted conventions and explore untested forms of creative expression, together with the works they produce.
The 1920s avant-garde in Berlin transformed the way people thought about theatre and design.
the 1920s avant-garde in Berlin
Young artists in São Paulo formed an avant-garde that mixed street art with classical painting.
formed an avant-garde
The architectural avant-garde proposed building houses entirely from recycled shipping containers.
Museum visitors were puzzled by the avant-garde's bold rejection of traditional painting techniques.
The literary avant-garde of the 1950s experimented with stream-of-consciousness storytelling.
- vanguard
overlapping meaning but broader — can refer to leaders in any field, not just the arts
- pioneers
emphasises being the first to explore new territory, often with lasting influence
- trailblazers
more informal, stresses the act of opening a path for others to follow
- mainstream
the widely accepted, conventional majority
- traditionalists
people who uphold established customs
文法句型
the + avant-garde
the + [field] + avant-garde
用法筆記
Takes a singular verb (The avant-garde is known for...). Refers to the collective group, not an individual — do not say 'an avant-garde' to mean a single artist.