Definition of nonfigurativenext
as in abstract
using elements of form (as color, line, or texture) with little or no attempt at creating a realistic picture the gallery owner is resigned to the fact that nonfigurative works generally do not appeal to tourists

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of nonfigurative Abstraction or nonfigurative art was held, if not in some disdain, at least as something less pressing. — Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2022 Back then, Pop Art—of which Oldenburg’s work was a kind of rough version—was puzzling, if not a bit scandalous to an art world that had, only recently, barely gotten used to the nonfigurative paint pyrotechnics of Abstract Expressionism. — Peter Plagens, WSJ, 22 July 2022 Largely inspired by Taeuber’s tours de force of design, experiments in nonfigurative art took hold in the Dada circle. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2021 Two nonfigurative pieces manage to appear simultaneously fractured and exalted. — Washington Post, 11 Aug. 2021 Although the caves contain a mix of figurative and nonfigurative images, the researchers focused their efforts on the latter variety. — Kate Wong, Scientific American, 23 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonfigurative
abstract
Adjective
  • But no deal has materialized because Fenkel and Katz have ruthlessly protected A24’s cool factor (the abstract secret sauce that’s trained younger generations to reclaim the moviegoing experience and make edgy auteurs their idols).
    — Matt Donnelly, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Clients will feel the consequences not as abstract regulatory distinctions, but as higher bills, slower service and fewer choices.
    — Will Hausberg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nonfigurative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonfigurative. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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