semi·ab·stract
ˌse-mē-ab-ˈstrakt 
-ˈab-ˌstrakt,
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
: having subject matter that is easily recognizable although the form is stylized
semiabstract art
: a composition or creation (as in painting or sculpture) in which the subject matter is easily recognizable though the form is stylized according to an abstract system or device
Examples of semiabstract in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
15 Nov. 2019
What resulted was a semiabstract tangle of expressionist images: fires burning, hooded figures converging, a pair of lifeless legs hanging.
—
New York Times,
10 June 2019
Sara Outing’s set, with its semiabstract array of empty frames, underlines the question, with contributions from Alyssandra Docherty’s sensitive lighting and Larry Fowler’s sound design.
—
Julia M. Klein,
Philly.com,
12 Oct. 2017
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Adjective
Marks’s street pictures are bright and bustling, conveying urban action with garish colors and people who blur into semiabstract shapes.
—
Mark Jenkins,
Washington Post,
15 Nov. 2019
What resulted was a semiabstract tangle of expressionist images: fires burning, hooded figures converging, a pair of lifeless legs hanging.
—
New York Times,
10 June 2019
Sara Outing’s set, with its semiabstract array of empty frames, underlines the question, with contributions from Alyssandra Docherty’s sensitive lighting and Larry Fowler’s sound design.
—
Julia M. Klein,
Philly.com,
12 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Semiabstract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiabstract. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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