Avantgarde

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A creative movement that seeks to innovate by challenging established norms in various artistic fields while embracing novel ideas and techniques
2. An innovative approach in art and culture that defies conventional standards and promotes radical experimentation through new and imaginative expressions
3. A forward-thinking trend in artistic and cultural practices that prioritizes originality and often opposes traditional norms, leading to groundbreaking developments

Etymology: Military language gave this word its first meaning. Old French "avant" meant "before" or "in front," and "garde" meant "guard," so an "avant-garde" was the troops sent ahead of the main army to scout and fight first. English borrowed the phrase in the Middle Ages as "advaunte-garde" and "avauntgard," and it shares a root with "vanguard" and "vaward," which are doublets: the same word arriving in English by different routes. The sense of leading the way spread from soldiers to art and ideas. Someone or something at the front of a movement, pushing into unfamiliar territory, came to be called avant-garde, which is the sense behind today's adjective meaning cutting-edge in style. The idea of being first to advance carried over intact; only the battlefield was swapped for the studio or the stage.

Synonyms: innovative, pioneering, trailblazing

Antonyms: traditional, conservative