Marinetti

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. A prominent Italian poet and founder of the Futurist movement, who advocated for the embracing of modern technology and dynamism in art
2. An influential figure in early 20th-century literature, known for his manifestos that celebrated speed, violence, and the beauty of the machine
3. A key proponent of avant-garde art, whose works reflect a rejection of tradition and a call for artistic revolution through progressive themes

Etymology: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti was an Italian poet who, in 1909, published the "Manifesto of Futurism" in the Paris newspaper Le Figaro, declaring that a roaring racing car was more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace. The name became a byword for the movement he founded, and "Marinetti" in this sense is simply a surname used to label a figure and his followers, the Futurists, who prized speed, machinery, war and the destruction of museums and old traditions. Marinetti was born in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1876 to an Italian family, and his surname is Italian, not a coinage. Like many proper nouns, it entered English only as a name for a real person, so its use as a label for the movement is a shorthand that grew out of his public fame rather than any change in the word itself.

Synonyms: Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, F.T. Marinetti, Futurist poet