impressionistic

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

How to pronounce impressionistic (audio)

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Definition of impressionistic

1 or impressionist \ im-ˈpre-sh(ə-)nist

How to pronounce impressionist (audio)

\ 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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Examples of impressionistic in a Sentence

He wrote an impressionistic account of the battle scene.

Recent Examples on the Web His work mostly involved finely detailed depictions of street life and prison time, impressionistic scenes of shopping carts, jazz players or crowds that drove home the dignity of the downtrodden. — Kevin Fagan, SFChronicle.com, "Homeless San Francisco artist dies just as he hits the big time with New York MoMA exhibit," 25 Sep. 2020 Jacobs’s impressionistic account was bolstered by William H. Whyte, the brilliant social theorist who brought analytical rigor to the study of public space. — Michael J. Lewis, National Review, "The Death of Public Beauty," 3 Sep. 2020 Melanie Rolfes and her husband Michael Zavison won first place in the 3-dimensional category for their large impressionistic wall hangings. — Kimberly Fornek, chicagotribune.com, "Hinsdale Fine Arts Show appreciated by artists and patrons alike as a rare show in a pandemic summer," 17 Aug. 2020 The finale was controversial in France for its dramatic plot decisions and impressionistic set pieces (dream sequences, etc). — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, "The Bureau's Thrilling Season 5 Finale is Long-Game TV at its Best," 10 Aug. 2020 The effect was impressionistic rather than conventionally documentary. — National Geographic, "Why does this legendary Black photographer's work continue to resonate today?," 26 June 2020 The increasingly qualitative mix of the underlying information makes evaluation even more impressionistic, notwithstanding third-party reviews. — WSJ, "A Lower Admissions Bar Will Help No One," 7 June 2020 With a patient and unobtrusive eye, filmmakers Lucas and Bresnan paint impressionistic portraits of a quartet of charismatic teenagers over the course of a pivotal school year. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Documentary ‘Pahokee’ finds heart and hope in a small Florida town," 23 Apr. 2020 It’s here, in the narration, that the novel finds itself — in the equable plainness of its language, a plainness that is nevertheless impressionistic and light-filled. — Samantha Harvey, New York Times, "Was There a Murder on the Mayflower?," 16 Mar. 2020

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.

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Last Updated

7 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Impressionistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impressionistic. Accessed 24 Oct. 2020.

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