essayistic

adjective

es·​say·​is·​tic ˌe-(ˌ)sā-ˈi-stik How to pronounce essayistic (audio)
1
: of or relating to an essay or an essayist
2
: resembling an essay in quality or character

Examples of essayistic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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His Late Show was still recognizably old-school: a grand New York theater, a formal desk, a serious bandstand, a host whose delivery often leaned more essayistic than conversational. Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 The essayistic documentary is infused with clips from 1970s cinema. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026 Kaleidoscope Competition: The jury selected from among five films in this section, which showcases essayistic and formally adventurous documentaries. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Nov. 2025 Yet the essayistic musings in Sonia and Sunny read more like armchair postcolonialism than a major writer laying muscular claim to the novel as form. Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for essayistic

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of essayistic was in 1862

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Cite this Entry

“Essayistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essayistic. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

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