minimalism
noun
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In the 1960s, a few composers, including Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and John Adams, began writing music inspired by the music of India and Southeast Asia, often with a quick pulsing beat and chords that are repeated quickly over and over while small changes are slowly introduced. Minimalist art, which began appearing around the same time, tries to strip away all personal elements, often leaving only pure geometric forms; you may have seen the plain silver boxes of Donald Judd, or the straight neon tubes of Bruce Nauman. In literature, the stripped-down fiction of Samuel Beckett and Raymond Carver is often considered minimalist. But there's a real question whether these various types of minimalism should even be considered the same concept.
Examples of minimalism in a Sentence
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
This is a perfect combination of Scandinavian minimalism and Parisian sophistication.
—Casandra Maggio, Glamour, 12 Mar. 2025
My aesthetic is a play of contrasts—feminine and masculine, minimalism and ornamentation.
—Felicity Carter, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Its ’90s-style silhouette, combined with textured sheen, creates a flattering spring dress that finds a sweet spot between minimalism and maximalism.
—Adam Mansuroglu, WWD, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for minimalism
Cite this Entry
“Minimalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minimalism. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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