postmodern
adjective
post·mod·ern
ˌpōs(t)-ˈmä-dərn 
nonstandard -ˈmä-d(ə-)rən
1
: of, relating to, or being an era after a modern one
postmodern times
a postmodern metropolis
2
a
: of, relating to, or being any of various movements in reaction to modernism that are typically characterized by a return to traditional materials and forms (as in architecture) or by ironic self-reference and absurdity (as in literature)
b
: of, relating to, or being a theory that involves a radical reappraisal of modern assumptions about culture, identity, history, or language
postmodern feminism
Examples of postmodern in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Egan time travels across 40 years in her postmodern Pulitzer Prize-winning book, passing the baton among 13 protagonists, zig-zagging her way through the story of music mogul Bennie Salazar, his klepto assistant Sasha, and a cast of kooky characters.
—
Meg Zukin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
His Broadway plays are less overtly postmodern, but there’s still a patchwork of influences below the surface.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
Image His early designs for the Deutsche Bank Center on Columbus Circle (formerly the Time Warner Center) were also in the postmodern aesthetic.
—David W. Dunlap, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
In Creation Lake, rural politics is mostly a backdrop to the postmodern espionage plot and Sadie’s increasing fascination with the octogenarian ideologue of the commune.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for postmodern
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Meg Zukin, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
His Broadway plays are less overtly postmodern, but there’s still a patchwork of influences below the surface.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
Image His early designs for the Deutsche Bank Center on Columbus Circle (formerly the Time Warner Center) were also in the postmodern aesthetic.
—David W. Dunlap, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
In Creation Lake, rural politics is mostly a backdrop to the postmodern espionage plot and Sadie’s increasing fascination with the octogenarian ideologue of the commune.
—Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for postmodern
Cite this Entry
“Postmodern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/postmodern. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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