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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

postmodern en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pósti Proto-Italic *posti Old Latin poste Latin post English post- English modern English postmodern From post- + modern.

Meanings

  1. (literally) Relating to what follows the modern era.
    • The nearer is a fact to the temporary limits of knowledge, the more implicated becomes this regression and the more blurred ought to be statement of fact. [Percy W.] Bridgman of Harvard recently has emphasized this conclusion, but his postmodern position has as yet made small impression. 1937 May, John Q. Stewart, “An Astronomer Looks at the Modern Epoch”, in The Scientific Monthly, volume 44, number 5, page 402:
    • A new book by Peter Drucker, author of “The New Society” and “America's Next Twenty Years,” will be published next Wednesday by Harper. In “Landmarks of Tomorrow,” Mr. Drucker discusses the postmodern world and how it differs from the old “modern” world that began with Descartes and the empiricists. 1958 December 31, “Books–Authors”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
  2. Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism, especially as represented in art, architecture, literature, science, or philosophy that reacts against an earlier modernism.
    • Bioleninism adapts this same logic to the postmodern West. It extends beyond socioeconomic class to encompass the full spectrum of biological dysfunction. 2026 January 21, Chad Crowley, “What is Bioleninism?”, in American Buddhist Net, archived from the original on 16 Jun 2026:
    • For an illustration of the differences between the traditional, positivist curriculum and the more postmodern reconceptualized curriculum, see Hanley and Montgomery. 2005 Mar, Janet R. Barrett, “Planning for Understanding: A Reconceptualized View of the Music Curriculum”, in Music Educators Journal, volume 91, number 4, page 25:
    • What I am objecting to is that aspect of postmodern thought that rejects the idea of any objective reality. 2001 Apr, Kristen Renwick Monroe, “Paradigm Shift: From Rational Choice to Perspective”, in International Political Science Review, volume 22, number 2, page 167 n22:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
po-mo alternative lexicographic
post-modern alternative lexicographic
most postmodern Degree=Sup lexicographic
pomo alternative lexicographic
more postmodern Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

postmodernly · postmodernism · postmodernisation · postmodernize · prepostmodern · nonpostmodern · postmodernity · unpostmodern · postpostmodern · postmodernese · postmodernization · postmodernise

Translations (18)

de nachmodern (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · it postmoderno (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · da postmoderne (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · cs postmoderní (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · pl postmodernistyczny (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · mk постмо́дерен (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · is póstmódern (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · hi उत्तर-आधुनिक (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · cmn 後現代 /后现代 (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · es posmoderno (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · de postmodern (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · nl postmodern (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · pt pós-moderno (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · fr postmoderne (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · ja ポストモダン (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · mi angatuahou (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · hu posztmodern (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism) · fi postmodernistinen (Of, relating to, or having the characteristics of postmodernism)

postmodern en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (Mid-Atlantic, US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *pós Proto-Indo-European *-ti Proto-Indo-European *pósti Proto-Italic *posti Old Latin poste Latin post English post- English modern English postmodern From post- + modern.

Meanings

  1. A postmodernist.
    • Trajal Harrell frames his program notes for “Twenty Looks or Paris Is Burning at the Judson Church (S)” with the potentially academic question, “What would have happened in 1963 if someone from the ball scene in Harlem had come downtown to perform alongside the early postmoderns at Judson Church?” 2009 October 3, Claudia La Rocco, “Where All the World’s a Fashion Show”, in New York Times:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
postmoderns Number=Plur lexicographic
po-mo alternative lexicographic
post-modern alternative lexicographic
pomo alternative lexicographic