cubism
gb/kjˈubɪzəm/ us/kjˈubɪzəm/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C1
abstract
1
early 1900s modern art movement
a style of modern art that uses simple shapes and shows different angles together
Usage pattern:
Cubism (in [art/painting])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *Cubism* to mean any abstract art; it refers to a specific movement and its characteristic style.
Antonyms
realism (Realism aims for lifelike representation rather than fractured, geometric forms.)
Collocations
the Cubism movement
|early Cubism
|Cubism emerged
|Cubism developed
|Cubism influenced
|Cubism in painting
|Cubism in Europe
|a pioneer of Cubism
|an exhibition on Cubism
|Cubism and Picasso
Themes
art
|painting
|modern_art
|culture
|history
Examples
- Cubism changed the direction of modern art by rejecting single-point perspective.
- The museum’s new show traces the rise of Cubism in Paris before World War I.
- Picasso’s early experiments helped establish Cubism as a major movement.
Learner examples
- Cubism is a modern art style.
- We studied Cubism in art class.
Noun
technical
C1
abstract
2
cubist style or technique
the method of drawing or painting in a cubist way
Usage pattern:
[someone] uses Cubism in [a work/painting/design]
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse *Cubism* (the approach) with *cubism* meaning “cubes” or 3D blocks.
Synonyms
cubist style (A near-equivalent phrase that names the same approach more explicitly.)
Antonyms
naturalism (Naturalism emphasizes accurate, natural-looking depiction rather than geometric abstraction.)
Collocations
use Cubism
|elements of Cubism
|influenced by Cubism
|Cubism techniques
|Cubism aesthetics
|Cubism vocabulary
|a touch of Cubism
|Cubism in design
|borrow from Cubism
|Cubism-inspired
Themes
art
|design
|painting
|visual_art
Examples
- Even in his later work, she noticed flashes of Cubism in the sharp angles and flattened space.
- The illustrator borrows from Cubism to give the cityscape a fractured, energetic look.
- The set design uses Cubism to suggest multiple spaces at once.
Learner examples
- The painting uses Cubism.
- Her art has some Cubism in it.
Noun
literary
C2
abstract
3
fragmented multi-angle view (figurative)
a way of showing many different views, like in Cubist art
Usage pattern:
Cubism in [writing/film/criticism]
Common mistake:
This figurative use is mainly found in criticism; it may sound odd in everyday conversation.
Synonyms
fragmentation (More general term; does not specifically reference the Cubist comparison.)
Antonyms
linear narrative (A linear narrative presents events in a single continuous sequence rather than shifting viewpoints.)
Collocations
narrative Cubism
|a kind of Cubism
|Cubism of the novel
|Cubism in cinema
|Cubism in criticism
|formal Cubism
|stylistic Cubism
Themes
literature
|film
|media
|criticism
Examples
- The critic described the novel’s shifting viewpoints as a kind of Cubism on the page.
- Some viewers find the film’s Cubism confusing, while others find it exciting.
- Her essay argues that the poem uses Cubism to hold contradictory images together.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cubism
IPA
GB/kjˈubɪzəm/
US/kjˈubɪzəm/
Syllables & stress
cu - bism (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cu)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cubism
- Plural: cubisms
Word family
Expressions
analytic cubism
1/ˌænəlˈɪtɪk kjˈubɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
early, fragmented cubist phase
an early type of Cubism with many small shapes and dull colors
Examples
- The painting is usually classified as Analytic Cubism because of its dense, broken planes.
- Analytic Cubism often uses browns and grays to focus attention on structure rather than color.
- In Analytic Cubism, everyday objects can become almost unrecognizable.
cubist collage
1/kjˈubɪst kəlˈɑʒ/
fixed phrase
cubist artwork using pasted materials
a Cubism-style collage made with paper pieces
Examples
- The cubist collage mixes newspaper clippings with painted shapes.
- Students made a cubist collage to practice overlapping planes and flat space.
- In her cubist collage, the text fragments become part of the composition.
cubist painting
1/kjˈubɪst pˈeɪntɪŋ/
fixed phrase
painting in cubist style
a painting made in the Cubism style
Examples
- They bought a small cubist painting of a guitar and a bottle.
- The gallery specializes in cubist painting from the early twentieth century.
- Her cubist painting shows the face from the front and the side at the same time.
cubist sculpture
1/kjˈubɪst skˈʌlpt͡ʃɚ/
fixed phrase
sculpture in cubist style
a sculpture made in the Cubism style
Examples
- The museum has a room dedicated to cubist sculpture in wood and metal.
- Her cubist sculpture reduces the figure to bold planes and sharp edges.
- Cubist sculpture often feels like a form turned into architecture.
synthetic cubism
1/sɪnθˈɛtɪk kjˈubɪzəm/
fixed phrase
technical
later cubist phase with collage
a later type of Cubism that often uses collage
Examples
- The artist moved toward Synthetic Cubism by adding printed paper to the composition.
- Synthetic Cubism tends to be flatter and more graphic than earlier Cubist work.
- Many famous collages from this period are examples of Synthetic Cubism.