Avant-garde (pronounced avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard".1 The adjective form is used in English, to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.

Avant-garde represents a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. The notion of the existence of the avant-garde is considered by some to be a hallmark of modernism, as distinct from postmodernism. However, this is not true in the case of music as many pieces are still being released which are generally considered avant-garde in popular culture.2 Many artists have aligned themselves with the avant-garde and still continue to do so, tracing a history from Dada to the Situationists to postmodern artists such as the L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E writers in the 1980's to many art collectives in the "post-postmodernist"3 times of today.4

All things considered to be ultramodern, advanced, or ahead of its time.

displaying ultramodernism or experimental style, especially in art or literature

All things considered to be ultramodern, advanced, or ahead of its time.

a term used by people who like to give the impression that they are intellectual art connoisseurs when they are trying to "describe" a quality of a piece of art that they dont understand at all and might not even be there. There are a few who use this term correctly (to describe ultramodernism or experimentation in modern art), but most who use it are ignorant and in denial regarding their own artistic mediocrity.

The grown-up word for hipster. Anything that dirty, hippie, English-major types use to make regular people feel inadequate and uncultured.

Alternatively, anything that regular/already established in their career people would disregard as shit. A term used to protect those "true artists whose genius is just misunderstood."

A tired old cliche used by people who think they're exotic and cutting edge.