PoliticsAugust 19, 2026

postmodernism

post-MOD-er-niz-um

Definition

A late 20th-century intellectual movement that rejects the absolute truths and universal principles of classical liberalism and Enlightenment thought.

Etymology

The word combines the Latin prefix 'post-' (after) with 'modernism,' derived from the Latin 'modernus' (current or present). It emerged in the mid-20th century to describe cultural and philosophical developments occurring after the modern era.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe a shift away from the liberal values held by the Founding Fathers, marking a transition in political philosophy that challenges traditional American concepts of government.

Social(ist) butterflies: Election could be beginning of nation's end

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The Journal Gazette

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