impressionistic

adjective

im·​pres·​sion·​is·​tic (ˌ)im-ˌpre-shə-ˈni-stik How to pronounce impressionistic (audio)
1
or impressionist often capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting impressionism
2
: based on or involving impression as distinct from expertise or fact
intuitions and impressionistic anecdotal accountsSidney Hook
impressionistically adverb

Examples of impressionistic in a Sentence

He wrote an impressionistic account of the battle scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His work is instantly recognizable, with vibrant, impressionistic swirls of purple, orange, green and red. John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2025 One of the things that really surprised me in getting away from that photorealism that we were locked into for such a long time, and getting into this painterly, more impressionistic look that extended from the backgrounds to the characters themselves, was the overall effect was more believable. Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2025 Nietzsche’s genealogy, needless to say, was a more impressionistic affair, and didn’t reach back to any evolutionary savanna. Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024 The impressionistic clip from the photographer/director known for his work with the Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam features a mix of performance footage and floating flowers with archival photos from throughout the band’s quarter-century-plus history. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for impressionistic 

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impressionistic was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near impressionistic

Cite this Entry

“Impressionistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impressionistic. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

impressionistic

adjective
im·​pres·​sion·​is·​tic (ˌ)im-ˌpresh-ə-ˈnis-tik How to pronounce impressionistic (audio)
1
or impressionist often capitalized : of or relating to impressionism
an impressionistic style of painting
2
: based on or involving one's impressions rather than knowledge or facts
impressionistic descriptions
impressionistically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on impressionistic

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