Dictionary

avant-garde en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /æˈvɑ̃t.ɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /ˌæ.vɑ̃ˈɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /ˌɑˌvɑ̃ˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /æˈvɑ̃.ɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /ˌæ.vɑntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /əˌvæntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /ˌɑˌvæntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /ˌɑˌvɑntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈæ.vn̩t.ɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /əˌvɑntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /ˌæˌvɑ̃ˈɡɑɹd/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English advaunte-garde, avauntgard, from Old French avangarde, avant-garde, avantgarde, from avant (“before; in front”) + garde (“guard”). Doublet of vanguard and vaward

Meanings

1. Innovative and pioneering, especially when extremely or obviously so.
   • While the work of the contemporary artists in the show is avant-garde, it does not overwhelm the colorful faience made by the Faucon family, seven generations of ceramicists who operated a factory in Apt, a town in the Luberon Valley, from 1890 until 2002. 2009 January 30, Wendy Moonan, “An Old-School Collector With Ideas on Beauty”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2022:
   • It was a very avant-garde production.
   • I fear she will pay a heavy price for the avant garde ideas she has been sold. 2014 November 24, James Dobson, Modesty and Self-Esteem, archived from the original on 24 Mar 2025:
   • There’s a moment, for instance, in the competition show Beast Games that struck me as something close to avant garde. Donaldson lays out a million dollars in cash in a big pile, and instructs each of the 10 remaining contestants to come out of their little houses one by one, and to choose how much money they want to take from the pile. 2025 June 3, Mark O’Connell, “‘The Mozart of the attention economy’: why MrBeast is the world’s biggest YouTube star”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 07 Jun 2025:

Forms

Deriveds

avant-pop · avantgardist · avantgardistic · avant-metal · retrogarde · avant · avantpop · transavantgarde · avant-gardism · avant-garage · avant-gardist · avant-dance

Relateds

avant basic · leading edge

Synonyms

underground

Translations (23)

pl awangardowy (innovative and pioneering) · ca avantguardista (innovative and pioneering) · ja 前衛的 (innovative and pioneering) · id terdepan (innovative and pioneering) · be авангарды́сцкі (innovative and pioneering) · pt vanguardista (innovative and pioneering) · fi avantgardistinen (innovative and pioneering) · et avangardne (innovative and pioneering) · cmn 先鋒 /先锋 (innovative and pioneering) · ru авангарди́стский (innovative and pioneering) · gl vangardista (innovative and pioneering) · mk авангарди́стички (innovative and pioneering) · id terkemuka (innovative and pioneering) · uk аванга́рдний (innovative and pioneering) · et avangardistlik (innovative and pioneering) · hu avantgárd (innovative and pioneering) · ka ავანგარდისტული (innovative and pioneering) · ms avant-garde (innovative and pioneering) · cmn 前衛 /前卫 (innovative and pioneering) · uk авангарди́стський (innovative and pioneering) · es vanguardista (innovative and pioneering) · de avantgardistisch (innovative and pioneering) · ru аванга́рдный (innovative and pioneering)

avant-garde en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /æˈvɑ̃t.ɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /ˌæ.vɑ̃ˈɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /ˌɑˌvɑ̃ˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /æˈvɑ̃.ɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /ˌæ.vɑntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /əˌvæntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /ˌɑˌvæntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /ˌɑˌvɑntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈæ.vn̩t.ɡɑːd/ (UK)
• /əˌvɑntˈɡɑɹd/ (US)
• /ˌæˌvɑ̃ˈɡɑɹd/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English advaunte-garde, avauntgard, from Old French avangarde, avant-garde, avantgarde, from avant (“before; in front”) + garde (“guard”). Doublet of vanguard and vaward

Meanings

1. (obsolete) The vanguard of an army or other force.
2. Any group of people who invent or promote new techniques or concepts, especially in the arts.

Forms

Antonyms

arrière-garde · arrière-garde

Synonyms

remnant · vanguard

Translations (53)

pt vanguarda (group of people promoting new concepts) · id kaum perintis (group of people promoting new concepts) · ja 前衛 (group of people promoting new concepts) · pl awangarda (group of people promoting new concepts) · de Pioniere (group of people promoting new concepts) · fr avant-garde (group of people promoting new concepts) · fi etujoukko ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · de Vorkämpfer (group of people promoting new concepts) · fa آوانگارد (group of people promoting new concepts) · ko 전위 (group of people promoting new concepts) · fr avant-garde ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · ja 前衛 ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · da avantgarde (group of people promoting new concepts) · eo avangardo (group of people promoting new concepts) · tr avangart (group of people promoting new concepts) · an abantguarda (group of people promoting new concepts) · ru аванга́рд (group of people promoting new concepts) · tr öncü (group of people promoting new concepts) · ru передово́й отря́д ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · ka ავანგარდი (group of people promoting new concepts) · it avanguardia ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · id garda depan (group of people promoting new concepts) · fi etujoukko (group of people promoting new concepts) · nb avantgarde (group of people promoting new concepts) · fi avantgardistit (group of people promoting new concepts) · ru головно́й отря́д ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · nn avantgarde (group of people promoting new concepts) · he אוונגרדי (group of people promoting new concepts) · cmn 前衛派 /前卫派 (group of people promoting new concepts) · cmn 前衛 /前卫 ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · id barisan depan ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · it avanguardia (group of people promoting new concepts) · ca avantguarda (group of people promoting new concepts) · pl awangarda ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · th แนวหน้า ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · id garda depan ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · de Vorreiter (group of people promoting new concepts) · el αβανγκάρντ ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · eo avangardo ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · pt vanguarda ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · de Avantgarde (group of people promoting new concepts) · de Vorhut (group of people promoting new concepts) · ro avangardă ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · mk авангарди́ст (group of people promoting new concepts) · es anteguardia ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · ca avantguarda ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · el αβανγκάρντ (group of people promoting new concepts) · bn অগ্রপথিক (group of people promoting new concepts) · ru авангарди́сты (group of people promoting new concepts) · ru аванга́рд ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · de Vorhut ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · mk аванга́рда ((obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force) · cs avantgarda (group of people promoting new concepts)