postmodern
UK: /ˌpəʊstˈmɒd(ə)n/ | US: /ˌpoʊstˈmɑːdərn/
adj. relating to or characterized by a departure from modernism, often mixing styles, ideas, or methods in unconventional ways.
n. a movement or style (e.g., in art, architecture, or literature) that reacts against modernism by embracing complexity, contradiction, and self-reference.
The term combines "post-" (Latin "post," meaning "after") with "modern" (Latin "modernus," from "modo," meaning "just now"). It emerged in the mid-20th century to describe cultural movements that rejected rigid modernist principles, instead favoring irony, eclecticism, and historical references. The prefix "post-" signals a chronological or conceptual shift beyond modernism, while "modern" anchors the word in its critique of immediate predecessors.
Postmodern architecture often combines traditional elements with futuristic designs.
Her novel uses postmodern techniques like fragmented narratives and unreliable narrators.
Critics debate whether postmodern art challenges or merely repeats past ideas.
The film’s nonlinear plot is a hallmark of postmodern storytelling.
Philosophers argue that postmodern skepticism questions universal truths.