expressivity
noun
ex·pres·siv·i·ty
ˌek-ˌspre-ˈsi-və-tē 
plural expressivities
1
: the relative capacity of a gene to affect the phenotype of the organism of which it is a part
2
: the quality of being expressive
Examples of expressivity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In our experiment, perhaps the task setup and the expressivity of the abused robot were enough to motivate people to generally intervene.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 19 Aug. 2020
Adobe says that Generative Fill expands expressivity and productivity and enhances the confidence of creators with the use of natural language and concepts to generate digital content in seconds.
—Shelby Putnam Tupper, PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2023
The baritone Luke Sutliff, a former Santa Fe apprentice, stepped in, finding keen expressivity at the top of his range.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The track that Sachs uses does more than just inflect the sequence with its surprisingly extravagant expressivity.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2023
The movie’s two hours were barely enough to tell the story; to tell it in about two-and-a-half, while leaving room for those 17 new songs, everything else has been cut to the bone, with no room for subtlety, let alone expressivity.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
What began as a joke became a curiosity, and, slowly—with the help of Segarra’s on-screen magnetism and puppylike physical expressivity—Lance has become something like the show’s moral center.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 9 June 2023
The idea that people are discovering their sexuality and their expressivity online is a beautiful thing.
—Emil Wilbekin Shikeith Ian Bradley, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2022
Beiderbecke had a lustrous, enticing, yet reserved tone and a piquant chromaticism, worlds apart from the excitement and kaleidoscopic expressivity of Armstrong’s playing; rather, Beiderbecke’s laconic precision anticipated the introspective tension of Miles Davis’s work, two-plus decades ahead.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2022
See More
IEEE Spectrum, 19 Aug. 2020
Adobe says that Generative Fill expands expressivity and productivity and enhances the confidence of creators with the use of natural language and concepts to generate digital content in seconds.
—Shelby Putnam Tupper, PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2023
The baritone Luke Sutliff, a former Santa Fe apprentice, stepped in, finding keen expressivity at the top of his range.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023
The track that Sachs uses does more than just inflect the sequence with its surprisingly extravagant expressivity.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2023
The movie’s two hours were barely enough to tell the story; to tell it in about two-and-a-half, while leaving room for those 17 new songs, everything else has been cut to the bone, with no room for subtlety, let alone expressivity.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023
What began as a joke became a curiosity, and, slowly—with the help of Segarra’s on-screen magnetism and puppylike physical expressivity—Lance has become something like the show’s moral center.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 9 June 2023
The idea that people are discovering their sexuality and their expressivity online is a beautiful thing.
—Emil Wilbekin Shikeith Ian Bradley, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2022
Beiderbecke had a lustrous, enticing, yet reserved tone and a piquant chromaticism, worlds apart from the excitement and kaleidoscopic expressivity of Armstrong’s playing; rather, Beiderbecke’s laconic precision anticipated the introspective tension of Miles Davis’s work, two-plus decades ahead.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'expressivity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near expressivity
Cite this Entry
“Expressivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expressivity. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
expressivity
noun
ex·pres·siv·i·ty
ˌek-ˌspres-ˈiv-ət-ē
plural expressivities
: the relative capacity of a gene to affect the phenotype of the organism of which it is a part compare penetrance
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