expressionism
noun
ex·pres·sion·ism
ik-ˈspre-shə-ˌni-zəm 
variants
often Expressionism
: a theory or practice in art of seeking to depict the subjective emotions and responses that objects and events arouse in the artist
Examples of expressionism in a Sentence
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Structured in five chapters, the film spans silent-era expressionism, film noir and a vampire love story shot in one of Gan’s signature long takes.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
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
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Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for expressionism
Cite this Entry
“Expressionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expressionism. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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