impressionistic

adjective im·pres·sion·is·tic \ (ˌ)im-ˌpre-shə-ˈni-stik \

|Updated on: 25 May 2018

Examples: impressionistic in a Sentence

Definition of impressionistic

1 or impressionist play \im-ˈpre-sh(ə-)nist\ often capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting impressionism

2 : based on or involving impression as distinct from expertise or fact

intuitions and impressionistic anecdotal accounts
—Sidney Hook

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impressionistically

play \(ˌ)im-ˌpre-shə-ˈni-sti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of impressionistic in a Sentence

He wrote an impressionistic account of the battle scene.

Recent Examples of impressionistic from the Web

Trailblazing author and journalist Tom Wolfe, known for his impressionistic prose and dapper three-piece white suits, has died at age 88*.

— anna silman, The Cut, "Tom Wolfe Has Died at 88," 15 May 2018
Ethiopia during the reign of Haile Selassie bursts to life in this impressionistic family history.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 17 Apr. 2018
In this new video from Numberphile, mathematician Alex Bellos explains a drawing by fellow mathematician Edmund Harris that gives the Collatz Conjecture a more impressionistic nature.

— sophie weiner, Popular Mechanics, "This Sea Monster Drawing Beautifully Depicts The Collatz Conjecture," 28 Mar. 2017
Windell’s work depicts nature in Wisconsin with its glorious seasonal palettes, painting her lush, impressionistic acrylics on a variety of surfaces, including canvasses, old windows and glassware.

— bob dohr, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "UW-Waukesha's spring production of "Eurydice" to open March 30," 26 Mar. 2018
Ridge Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains 1985 ($N/A): Heady and primal, ethereal and terrestrial all at once, the 1985 Monte Bello unleashes whirling, impressionistic flashes of flavor that leave you utterly spellbound.

— bryce wiatrak, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tasting Notes: The wines of Montebello Road," 28 Feb. 2018
These racing sequences in particular create an impressionistic, hypnotic effect that seems to be searching for some kind of emotional truth, rather than attempting a literal representation of the race competition.

— justin lowe, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Last Race': Film Review | Sundance 2018," 23 Jan. 2018
The Confederate statue is not a prominent focal point in the impressionistic painting.

— kwame anthony appiah, New York Times, "We Sponsor Refugees. What to Do About Their Patriarchal Ways?," 20 Dec. 2017
Adasiewicz’s score reflects the impressionistic quality Christopher describes, the tintinnabulation of his vibraphone echoed in silvery streaks of melody from Berman’s cornet and washes of sound from Drake’s percussion.

— howard reich, chicagotribune.com, "Jason Adasiewicz creates a glistening film score," 2 Nov. 2017

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