ukiyo-e

noun

uki·​yo-e ü-ˌkē-ō-ˈyā 

-ˈā

variants or less commonly ukiyo-ye

: a Japanese art movement that flourished from the 17th to the 19th century and produced paintings and prints depicting the everyday life and interests of the common people

also : the paintings and prints themselves

Examples of ukiyo-e in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The next subsection jumps to quilting in the United States, followed by brief interludes on the Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo, the Native and African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, and the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Ōi. —Jillian Steinhauer, The New Republic, 21 Aug. 2023

On a visit to Japan, he was introduced to the ukiyo-e, or woodblock prints, of the master artist Hokusai. —Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Japanese ukiyo-e genre picture, from ukiyo world, life + e picture

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above