facture

noun

fac·​ture ˈfak-chər How to pronounce facture (audio)
: the manner in which something (such as a painting) is made

Examples of facture in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The impression of freshness and immediacy is reinforced by the paint’s facture. Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2021 In art, the inefficiencies of hand facture were understood as essential markers of meaning. Susan Tallman, The New York Review of Books, 19 Aug. 2021 These sensuous aspects — the painting’s facture, the colors’ intensity — are as important, in their way, as Mondrian’s organization of form and space. Washington Post, 12 May 2021 Her face, while more contoured than Eva’s, still quivers with facture, the tenderness of coming-to-be embodied in Kiely’s additions, erasures, and smudges. Cate McQuaid, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'facture.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "manner of making, shape," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin factūra "working (of metal), make, fashion," from factus (past participle of facere "to make, do") + -ūra -ure — more at fact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of facture was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near facture

Cite this Entry

“Facture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facture. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!