avant-garde

See also: avantgarde and Avantgarde

English

WOTD – 31 January 2012

Alternative forms

• avantgarde

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French avant-garde (“vanguard”). Doublet of vanguard and vaward.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /æˈvɑ̃t.ɡɑːd/, /æˈvɑ̃.ɡɑːd/, /ˌæ.vɑ̃ˈɡɑːd/, /ˈæ.vn̩t.ɡɑːd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɑˌvɑntˈɡɑɹd/, /əˌvɑntˈɡɑɹd/, /ˌæ.vɑntˈɡɑɹd/, /ˌɑˌvæntˈɡɑɹd/, /əˌvæntˈɡɑɹd/, /ˌɑˌvɑ̃ˈɡɑɹd/, /ˌæˌvɑ̃ˈɡɑɹd/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

avant-garde (plural avant-gardes)

1. (obsolete) The vanguard of an army or other force.

   Antonym: arrière-garde

2. Any group of people who invent or promote new techniques or concepts, especially in the arts.

   Synonyms: remnant, vanguard

   Antonym: arrière-garde

Translations

(obsolete) the vanguard of an army or other force

• Catalan: avantguarda (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 前衛 / 前卫 (zh) (qiánwèi)

• Esperanto: avangardo (eo)
• Finnish: etujoukko
• French: avant-garde (fr) f
• German: Vorhut (de) f
• Greek: αβανγκάρντ (el) f (avangkárnt)
• Indonesian: garda depan (id), barisan depan (id)
• Italian: avanguardia (it) f
• Japanese: 前衛 (ja) (zen'ei)
• Macedonian: аванга́рда f (avangárda)
• Polish: awangarda (pl) f
• Portuguese: vanguarda (pt) f
• Romanian: avangardă (ro) f
• Russian: аванга́рд (ru) m (avangárd), головно́й отря́д m (golovnój otrjád), передово́й отря́д m (peredovój otrjád)
• Spanish: vanguardia (es) f, anteguardia f
• Thai: แนวหน้า (nɛɛo-nâa)

group of people promoting new concepts

• Aragonese: abantguarda f
• Bengali: অগ্রপথিক (bn) (ogropothik)
• Catalan: avantguarda (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 前衛派 / 前卫派

• Czech: avantgarda f
• Danish: avantgarde (da)
• Esperanto: avangardo (eo)
• Finnish: avantgardistit pl, etujoukko
• French: avant-garde (fr) f
• Georgian: ავანგარდი (avangardi)
• German: Avantgarde (de) f, Vorhut (de) f, Vorreiter (de) pl or m, Vorkämpfer (de) pl or m, Pioniere (de) pl or f
• Greek: αβανγκάρντ (el) f (avangkárnt)
• Hebrew: אוונגרדי (he)
• Indonesian: kaum perintis, garda depan (id)
• Italian: avanguardia (it) f
• Japanese: 前衛 (ja) (zen'ei)
• Korean: 전위 (ko) (jeonwi)
• Macedonian: авангарди́ст m (avangardíst)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: avantgarde m

  Nynorsk: avantgarde m

• Persian: آوانگارد (fa) (âvângârd)
• Polish: awangarda (pl) f
• Portuguese: vanguarda (pt) f
• Russian: аванга́рд (ru) m (avangárd), авангарди́сты (ru) m pl (avangardísty)
• Spanish: vanguardia (es) f
• Turkish: avangart (tr), öncü (tr)

Adjective

avant-garde (comparative more avant-garde, superlative most avant-garde)

1. Innovative and pioneering, especially when extremely or obviously so.

   Synonyms: underground; see also Thesaurus:innovation

   It was a very avant-garde production.

   • 2014 November 24, James Dobson, Modesty and Self-Esteem‎^[1], archived from the original on 24 March 2025:

     I fear she will pay a heavy price for the avant garde ideas she has been sold.

   • 2025 June 3, Mark O’Connell, “‘The Mozart of the attention economy’: why MrBeast is the world’s biggest YouTube star”, in The Guardian‎^[2], archived from the original on 7 June 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.

Translations

innovative and pioneering

• Belarusian: авангарды́сцкі (avanhardýscki)
• Catalan: avantguardista
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 前衛 / 前卫 (zh) (qiánwèi), 先鋒 / 先锋 (zh) (xiānfēng)

• Estonian: avangardistlik, avangardne
• Finnish: avantgardistinen
• Galician: vangardista
• Georgian: ავანგარდისტული (avangardisṭuli)
• German: avantgardistisch (de)
• Hungarian: avantgárd (hu)
• Indonesian: terdepan (id), terkemuka (id)
• Japanese: 前衛的 (ja) (zen'eiteki)
• Macedonian: авангарди́стички (avangardístički)
• Malay: avant-garde
• Polish: awangardowy (pl) m
• Portuguese: vanguardista (pt)
• Russian: авангарди́стский (ru) (avangardístskij), аванга́рдный (ru) (avangárdnyj)
• Spanish: vanguardista (es)
• Ukrainian: авангарди́стський (avanhardýstsʹkyj), аванга́рдний (uk) (avanhárdnyj)

Derived terms

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

See also

• leading edge

Finnish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French avant-garde.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑʋɑntˌɡɑrde/, [ˈɑ̝ʋɑ̝n̪t̪ˌɡɑ̝rde̞]
• IPA^(key): /ˈɑʋɑn(t)ˌɡɑːr(d)/, [ˈɑ̝ʋɑ̝n(t̪)ˌɡɑ̝ːr(d)]
• Rhymes: -ɑrde
• Syllabification^(key): a‧vant‧gar‧de
• Hyphenation^(key): avant‧garde

Noun

avant-garde

1. synonym of avantgardismi

Declension

Inflection of avant-garde (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)
nominative		avant-garde	—
genitive		avant-garden	—
partitive		avant-gardea	—
illative		avant-gardeen	—
		singular	plural
nominative		avant-garde	—
accusative	nom.	avant-garde	—
	gen.	avant-garden
genitive		avant-garden	—
partitive		avant-gardea	—
inessive		avant-gardessa	—
elative		avant-gardesta	—
illative		avant-gardeen	—
adessive		avant-gardella	—
ablative		avant-gardelta	—
allative		avant-gardelle	—
essive		avant-gardena	—
translative		avant-gardeksi	—
abessive		avant-gardetta	—
instructive		—	—
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of avant-garde (Kotus type 8/nalle, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative avant-gardeni — accusative nom. avant-gardeni — gen. avant-gardeni genitive avant-gardeni — partitive avant-gardeani — inessive avant-gardessani — elative avant-gardestani — illative avant-gardeeni — adessive avant-gardellani — ablative avant-gardeltani — allative avant-gardelleni — essive avant-gardenani — translative avant-gardekseni — abessive avant-gardettani — instructive — — comitative — — second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative avant-gardesi — accusative nom. avant-gardesi — gen. avant-gardesi genitive avant-gardesi — partitive avant-gardeasi — inessive avant-gardessasi — elative avant-gardestasi — illative avant-gardeesi — adessive avant-gardellasi — ablative avant-gardeltasi — allative avant-gardellesi — essive avant-gardenasi — translative avant-gardeksesi — abessive avant-gardettasi — instructive — — comitative — — first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative avant-gardemme — accusative nom. avant-gardemme — gen. avant-gardemme genitive avant-gardemme — partitive avant-gardeamme — inessive avant-gardessamme — elative avant-gardestamme — illative avant-gardeemme — adessive avant-gardellamme — ablative avant-gardeltamme — allative avant-gardellemme — essive avant-gardenamme — translative avant-gardeksemme — abessive avant-gardettamme — instructive — — comitative — — second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative avant-gardenne — accusative nom. avant-gardenne — gen. avant-gardenne genitive avant-gardenne — partitive avant-gardeanne — inessive avant-gardessanne — elative avant-gardestanne — illative avant-gardeenne — adessive avant-gardellanne — ablative avant-gardeltanne — allative avant-gardellenne — essive avant-gardenanne — translative avant-gardeksenne — abessive avant-gardettanne — instructive — — comitative — — third-person possessor singular plural nominative avant-gardensa — accusative nom. avant-gardensa — gen. avant-gardensa genitive avant-gardensa — partitive avant-gardeaan avant-gardeansa — inessive avant-gardessaan avant-gardessansa — elative avant-gardestaan avant-gardestansa — illative avant-gardeensa — adessive avant-gardellaan avant-gardellansa — ablative avant-gardeltaan avant-gardeltansa — allative avant-gardelleen avant-gardellensa — essive avant-gardenaan avant-gardenansa — translative avant-gardekseen avant-gardeksensa — abessive avant-gardettaan avant-gardettansa — instructive — — comitative — —

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French avantgarde. By surface analysis, avant (“before, in front of”) +‎ garde (“guard”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.vɑ̃.ɡaʁd/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Noun

avant-garde f (plural avant-gardes)

1. (military) vanguard [since mid-12th c.]

   Antonym: arrière-garde

   • 1879, Alfred Barbou, Les Trois Républiques françaises : Histoire populaire de la République en France [The Three French Republics: People's history of the Republic in France], A. Duquesne:

     Le 11 décembre, les avant-gardes ennemies étaient signalées aux environs de Château-Thierry.

     On December 11, the enemy vanguard was reported in the vicinity of Château-Thierry.

2. (figuratively) avant-garde, firing line [since mid-16th c.]
3. (Marxism) vanguard, the most politicized and conscious part of the proletariat.
   • 1917, Vladimir Lenin, “Chapter II, part 1”, in L’État et la Révolution‎^[3]:

     En éduquant le parti ouvrier, le marxisme éduque une avant-garde du prolétariat capable de prendre le pouvoir et de mener le peuple tout entier au socialisme, de diriger et d'organiser un régime nouveau, d'être l'éducateur, le guide et le chef de tous les travailleurs et exploités pour l'organisation de leur vie sociale, sans la bourgeoisie et contre la bourgeoisie. Au contraire, l'opportunisme régnant éduque, dans le parti ouvrier, des représentants des travailleurs les mieux rétribués qui se détachent de la masse : ils "s'accommodent" assez bien du régime capitaliste et vendent pour un plat de lentilles leur droit d'aînesse, c'est-à-dire qu'ils abdiquent leur rôle de chefs révolutionnaires du peuple dans la lutte contre la bourgeoisie.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Derived terms

• avant-gardisme
• avant-gardiste

Descendants

• → Crimean Tatar: avangard
• → Danish: avantgarde
• → English: avant-garde
• → German: Avantgarde
• → Korean: 아방가르드 (abanggareudeu)
• → Norwegian Bokmål: avantgarde
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: avantgarde
• → Swedish: avantgarde
• → Turkish: avangart

Further reading

• “avant-garde”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Indonesian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French avant-garde.

Noun

avant-garde

1. avant-garde

   Synonyms: garda depan, pelopor, perintis

Further reading

• “avant-garde”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Middle French

Noun

avant-garde f (plural avant-gardes)

1. (military) vanguard

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French avant-garde.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaʁ.d͡ʒi/ [aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɦ.d͡ʒi]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaʁ.d͡ʒi/ [aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɦ.d͡ʒi]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.d͡ʒi/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaʁ.d͡ʒi/
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɻ.d͡ʒi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaʁ.de/ [aˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɦ.de]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.dɨ/ [ɐˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.ðɨ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.dɨ/ [ɐˌvɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.ðɨ]
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɐˌbɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.dɨ/ [ɐˌβɐ̃ˈɡaɾ.ðɨ]

• Hyphenation: a‧vant-gar‧de

Noun

avant-garde m (plural avant-gardes)

1. avant-garde

Adjective

avant-garde m or f (plural avant-gardes)

1. avant-garde

Further reading

• “avant-garde”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “avant-garde”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026