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.
Frenetic, handheld scenes of Jordan’s friends guzzling handles of Tito’s at house parties give way to impressionistic passages of those same friends walking through a local nature preserve or pumping gas in the small hours before daylight. Dana Harris-Bridson, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025 Regaining Unconsciousness, her first collection in a dozen years, feels like an archival boxset, with over a hundred poems grouped into eleven sections with the impressionistic, welcoming vibe of playlists. Christopher Spaide august 1, Literary Hub, 1 Aug. 2025 Simply, Tartakovsky wanted to make a movie showcasing his impressionistic visual style and Sandler wanted to make one with a bunch of dumb bits aimed at an audience too young to care about what a critic would think is good. Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 30 July 2025 What’s remarkable about this light-footed film is its impressionistic, childlike vision of an African country on the verge of violence. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 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

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Cite this Entry

“Impressionistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impressionistic. Accessed 20 Aug. 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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