Having to do with a movement in art, architecture, or literature that is a reaction against modernism and that calls for the reintroduction of traditional elements and techniques as well as elements from popular culture.
Example:
The postmodern AT&T building in New York, with its "Chippendale" top that makes it look a little like an antique dresser, aroused a storm of criticism.
Although postmodern literally translates as "after modern" and would therefore seem likely to mean "ultramodern," it usually really means "antimodern." In the 1970s architects began to be dissatisfied with the stark simplicity of most modern architecture and began to include in their designs traditional elements such as columns, arches, and keystones, and also startling color contrasts such as might have come from advertising and pop culture. Similar developments took place in literature, and there too the movement has been greeted with a mixture of approval, disapproval, and sometimes amusement.