cubism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Academic, Art Critique, General Educated
Quick answer
What does “cubism” mean?
An early 20th-century style and movement in art, especially painting, that abandoned traditional single-point perspective and instead depicted subjects using geometric forms and multiple viewpoints.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An early 20th-century style and movement in art, especially painting, that abandoned traditional single-point perspective and instead depicted subjects using geometric forms and multiple viewpoints.
An artistic style characterized by the analysis and fragmentation of form into geometric shapes and the reassembly of these from multiple perspectives into an abstract composition. By extension, the term can be applied to other creative fields (e.g., literature, architecture) where similar principles of fragmentation and multi-perspective representation are employed.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations as a specific art movement. In both varieties, it carries strong associations with early 20th-century European avant-garde, intellectualism, and formal innovation.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in general discourse but standard and common within art historical and cultural contexts in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “cubism” in a Sentence
[Subject] + explores/embraces/rejects + cubismCubism + [Verb: influenced/revolutionised/challenged] + [Object][Artist] + is associated with/known for + cubismVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “cubism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No standard verb form 'to cubism'. Use 'to paint in a cubist style'.]
American English
- [No standard verb form 'to cubism'. Use 'to work in cubism' or 'to cubify' is non-standard/playful.]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb. 'Cubistically' is extremely rare and non-standard.]
American English
- [No standard adverb. 'In a cubist manner' is the preferred phrasing.]
adjective
British English
- The gallery acquired a striking cubist sculpture.
- Her later work shows a distinct cubist influence.
American English
- The building's facade has a cubist quality to it.
- He collected early cubist drawings.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Potentially in marketing/design contexts: 'The campaign uses a cubist-inspired aesthetic to suggest multiple viewpoints on the product.'
Academic
Primary context. Used precisely in art history, cultural studies, and visual arts criticism to describe the movement, its phases, and its influence.
Everyday
Low frequency. May appear in general discussions about art, museum visits, or describing a visual style metaphorically.
Technical
Specific and precise in art historical terminology, distinguishing between analytic, synthetic, and late cubism, and its key figures (Picasso, Braque).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “cubism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “cubism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “cubism”
- Using 'cubism' to refer generally to all abstract art. Mispronouncing as /ˈkʌb.ɪ.zəm/ (like 'cub'). Confusing 'cubist' (adj/noun) with 'cubism' (the movement/style).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Analytic Cubism (c. 1909–1912) deconstructed forms into overlapping, monochromatic geometric facets. Synthetic Cubism (c. 1912–1919) was more decorative, using simpler shapes, brighter colours, and incorporating collage elements like newspaper (papier collé).
No. While Cubism is abstract in that it distorts visual reality, it is not non-representational. It always starts from an observed subject (a person, a guitar, a bottle) which it then analyses and reassembles. Pure abstract art may have no subject at all.
Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque are universally considered the co-founders and principal figures. Other significant contributors include Juan Gris, Fernand Léger, and (in its later, derivative phases) artists like Robert Delaunay (Orphism).
Yes, metaphorically. It can describe literature that uses fragmented narratives, music that layers disparate themes, or any analysis that considers multiple, simultaneous perspectives on a single subject (e.g., 'a cubist approach to historical analysis').
An early 20th-century style and movement in art, especially painting, that abandoned traditional single-point perspective and instead depicted subjects using geometric forms and multiple viewpoints.
Cubism is usually academic, art critique, general educated in register.
Cubism: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkjuː.bɪ.zəm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkjuː.bɪ.zəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not commonly used idiomatically]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a CUBE. Now imagine a portrait shattered into CUBE-like shapes and geometric forms. CUBE-ism = CUBISM.
Conceptual Metaphor
UNDERSTANDING IS SEEING FROM MULTIPLE ANGLES (Cubism breaks the single 'viewpoint' to offer a more complete, if abstract, understanding of form).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is most closely associated with the core principles of Cubism?