impressionistic

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

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

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

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
His lyrics are, as always before, made up of impressionistic snippets that feel like inside jokes.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "LCD Soundsystem's Oddly Inspiring Flip-Flop," 1 Sep. 2017
Boldly impressionistic, the film is based around a pot dispensary in Humboldt County, adding up to something like a hallucinatory melodrama.

— mark olsen, latimes.com, "Indie Focus: Taking it higher with 'Woodshock,' 'Battle of the Sexes' and 'Stronger'," 24 Sep. 2017
The movie's flashbacks, however, are rendered in black and white, recalling the more sober and impressionistic work Van Gogh drew back in the Netherlands.

— j.r. jones, Chicago Reader, "Loving Vincent looks at the real Van Gogh—and the one we want to remember," 19 Oct. 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.