gestural

adjective

ges·​tur·​al ˈjes-chə-rəl 

ˈjesh-

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

ˈjes-chə-rə-lē 

ˈjesh-

adverb

Examples of gestural in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In pastel on brown paper, the loose, gestural application further undermines the boundaries between bodies. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026

The editing rhythms are clipped and almost metronomically precise; individual scenes feel less composed than synthesized from an array of swift, gestural fragments—a hand on a doorknob, a face at the window—which have the effect of heightening your attention. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 June 2026

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, whose gestural abstractions consistently ran against the grain, defying the demands placed upon Black painters by critics and artists alike, died on Sunday in Mérida, Mexico. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026

In the great room, Gibson took cues from a rug Christian Bérard created for Nelson Rockefeller’s Fifth Avenue apartment, amplifying its gestural floral pattern in a custom carpet and then carrying the motif up the walls. — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1