Jazz Age

noun

1. the period that in the U.S. extended roughly from the Armistice of 1918 to the stock-market crash of 1929 and was notable for increased prosperity, liberated or hedonistic social behavior, Prohibition and the concomitant rise in production and consumption of bootleg liquor, and the development and dissemination of jazz and ragtime and associated ballroom dances.

jazz age

noun

1. the jazz age
   often capitals (esp in the US) the period between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Depression during which jazz became popular

Jazz Age

1. The 1920s in the United States, a decade marked not only by the popularity of jazz , but also by attacks on convention in many areas of American life. ( See flappers and Roaring Twenties .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Jazz Age¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Word History and Origins

Origin of Jazz Age¹

C20: popularized by F. Scott Fitzgerald , who called a collection of his short stories Tales of the Jazz Age (1922)

Example Sentences

“Economy Hall: The Hidden History of a Free Black Brotherhood,” by Fatima Shaik, provides a fascinating look at the city from the slavery era through the Jazz Age.

From New York Times

The staging, which can seem cluttered and breathless in the early going, traipses through these seedy locales with a theatrical swiftness that captures the milieu that bred the syncopated rhythm of the Jazz Age.

From Los Angeles Times

The volumetric flesh, aerodynamic curves and warhead breasts that so titillated Jazz Age Paris became, the show suggests, today’s template for glamazonian feminism.

From New York Times

The prize, named after Jazz Age songwriters George and Ira Gershwin, is described as the “nation’s highest award for influence, impact and achievement in popular music.”

From Seattle Times

His calling card was male beauty: Jazz Age youths in their finest finery populate his ads for shirts and starched collars; athletic collegians grace his covers for the weeklies.

From New York Times