ukiyo-e
noun
uki·yo-e
ü-ˌkē-ō-ˈyā 
-ˈā
variants
or less commonly ukiyo-ye
: a Japanese art movement that flourished from the 17th to the 19th century and produced paintings and prints depicting the everyday life and interests of the common people
also
: the paintings and prints themselves
Examples of ukiyo-e in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Not only was Katsushika Hokusai arguably the world’s most recognizable ukiyo-e (Edo-style woodblock print) artist from the vicinity, but Ryogoku was also one of the most nigiwai (bustling) entertainment districts of that era.
—
Jonathan Delise, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Not all ukiyo-e would have been so acceptable to the government.
—Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
But peer past those wonders, since immortalized odes and ukiyo-e woodblock prints, to find Gero, a quiet onsen town in Gifu prefecture with the placid, pastoral charm of a Studio Ghibli movie.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 May 2025
The next subsection jumps to quilting in the United States, followed by brief interludes on the Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo, the Native and African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, and the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Ōi.
—Jillian Steinhauer, The New Republic, 21 Aug. 2023
On a visit to Japan, he was introduced to the ukiyo-e, or woodblock prints, of the master artist Hokusai.
—Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
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Jonathan Delise, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2026
Not all ukiyo-e would have been so acceptable to the government.
—Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
But peer past those wonders, since immortalized odes and ukiyo-e woodblock prints, to find Gero, a quiet onsen town in Gifu prefecture with the placid, pastoral charm of a Studio Ghibli movie.
—Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 May 2025
The next subsection jumps to quilting in the United States, followed by brief interludes on the Hopi-Tewa potter Nampeyo, the Native and African American sculptor Edmonia Lewis, and the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Ōi.
—Jillian Steinhauer, The New Republic, 21 Aug. 2023
On a visit to Japan, he was introduced to the ukiyo-e, or woodblock prints, of the master artist Hokusai.
—Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Ukiyo-e.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ukiyo-e. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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