expressionism

noun

ex·​pres·​sion·​ism ik-ˈspre-shə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce expressionism (audio)
often capitalized
: a theory or practice in art of seeking to depict the subjective emotions and responses that objects and events arouse in the artist
expressionist noun or adjective often capitalized
expressionistic adjective
expressionistically adverb

Examples of expressionism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But Hosoda’s expressionism virtually disappears thereafter, and a dry sense of order exerts itself once the story is spirited back towards Elsinore. Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025 Of course, Kenneth Branagh’s insane 1994 adaptation, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, probably hewed closest to the novel, and that movie and this one share a similarly frantic, gothic-romantic expressionism. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Aug. 2025 His willingness to reimagine the visible world pointed the way to symbolism, expressionism, and abstraction. Susan Tallman, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025 German expressionism is a big influence in your music right now. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for expressionism

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1901, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of expressionism was circa 1901

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Cite this Entry

“Expressionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expressionism. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.

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