gestural

adjective ges·tur·al \ ˈjes-chə-rəl , ˈjesh- \

Updated on: 18 May 2018

Definition of gestural

1 : of, relating to, or consisting of gestures

2 : of, relating to, or characterized by vigorous application of paint and expressive brushwork

gestural expressionism

—

gesturally

play \ˈjes-chə-rə-lē, ˈjesh-\ adverb

Recent Examples of gestural from the Web

The first semiofficial gestural fan language was written by a Spanish man known simply as Fenella.

— madeleine luckel, Vogue, "Why It’s Time to Revisit the Handheld Fan—And Its Secret Language," 24 Apr. 2018
The work is a massive embodiment of roiling gestural energy.

— julia couzens, sacbee, "A witty and deep showcase of Jewish artists' contributions to California art history | The Sacramento Bee," 6 Apr. 2018
Her paintings explore bizarre, dreamlike scenarios in bold colors and dramatic, forceful and gestural brushstrokes.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Museum of Art announces details of Dana Schutz show at Transformer Station (photos)," 9 Jan. 2018
The pose and the placement of the hands expresses a gestural sense of the subject’s self that flows right into the dress: Michelle Obama is a wearer of clothes and an owner of arms and a woman who looks right at you, this painting says.

— josephine livingstone, New Republic, "The new Obama portraits are gorgeous alone, but combine strangely.," 12 Feb. 2018
The release is more gestural than actual, a bit of fake-it-till-you-make-it.

— elizabeth greenwood, Longreads, "The Month of Giving Dangerously," 31 Jan. 2018
Viewed up close, these marks bear a whiff of 1950s Abstract Expressionist gestural painting.

— steven litt, cleveland.com, "Dana Schutz tackles Trump era anxieties in new show at Transformer Station (photos)," 21 Jan. 2018
Then, that world—a world of predictive policing, maglev self-driving cars, advanced gestural interfaces, and pervasive retinal scanning both for surveillance and targeted advertising purposes—inspired new story ideas.

— kevin bankston, Slate Magazine, "Fictional futures can help shape reality.," 6 Oct. 2017
Soulier ties together all those odd arm and torso twists, the karate kicks, rolls and the rest of the brutal folderol through meticulous repetition, directional shifts and gestural phrases passed from one dancer to the next.

— laura bleiberg, latimes.com, "In Benjamin Millepied's L.A. Dance Project program, the name to remember is Noé Soulier," 3 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gestural.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of gestural

1613

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up gestural? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

gestural

Definition of gestural

gesturally

Recent Examples of gestural from the Web

First Known Use of gestural

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

garrulous

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

A Matter-of-Fact Look at 'Deadpan'

9 Words from the Magical Realm

A Field Guide to British Noble Titles

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

Farm Idioms Quiz

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

SCRABBLE® Sprint

'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

9 Words from the Magical Realm

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

Trending: Melania Trump Undergoes 'Embolization'

Ghost Word

gestural

Definition of gestural

gesturally

Recent Examples of gestural from the Web

First Known Use of gestural

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Ingenious' and 'Ingenuous': More Than a Typo

9 Words from the Magical Realm

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

Trending: Melania Trump Undergoes 'Embolization'

Ghost Word