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
This extends to the expressivity of a noodle’s form, sensual or zany, and to the harmony of marrying a particular shape with exactly the right sauce, which carries the same satisfying sense of inevitability that comes from hanging a picture just right.
—
Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2024
Emotional expressivity is no longer a way to communicate with each other to reach greater understanding between people of diverse backgrounds; instead, emotion’s function has shifted from forging social bonds to expressing one’s own inner feelings.
—Iese Business School, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
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
Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2024
Emotional expressivity is no longer a way to communicate with each other to reach greater understanding between people of diverse backgrounds; instead, emotion’s function has shifted from forging social bonds to expressing one’s own inner feelings.
—Iese Business School, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
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
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Expressivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expressivity. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical 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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