as in abstract
using elements of form (as color, line, or texture) with little or no attempt at creating a realistic picture
the real subject of his nonobjective paintings is color—and the intense emotional response it can provoke in the viewer
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Recent Examples of nonobjective
Many of Eide’s colleagues were involved in DIY art spaces in West Baltimore and championed completely nonobjective painting and sculpture.
—
Lyndi McNulty, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 6 Sep. 2021
If Abstract Expressionism moved from figuration to nonobjective abstraction, then Judd et al. were going even further.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Republic, 15 May 2020
De Kooning used to talk about how putting facial features into otherwise nonobjective pictures gave him a point of contact, a way to organize the chaos.
—Dmitry Samarov, Chicago Reader, 23 Feb. 2018
The show charts Pape’s prolific path, from her youthful days in the nonobjective concrete-art movement to her defection to the more playful neo-concretism, ending with later works of anything-goes independence.
—The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2017
Lyndi McNulty, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, 6 Sep. 2021
If Abstract Expressionism moved from figuration to nonobjective abstraction, then Judd et al. were going even further.
—Kyle Chayka, The New Republic, 15 May 2020
De Kooning used to talk about how putting facial features into otherwise nonobjective pictures gave him a point of contact, a way to organize the chaos.
—Dmitry Samarov, Chicago Reader, 23 Feb. 2018
The show charts Pape’s prolific path, from her youthful days in the nonobjective concrete-art movement to her defection to the more playful neo-concretism, ending with later works of anything-goes independence.
—The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonobjective
abstract
Adjective
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For Michael Baer, a 59-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, the idea of being politically caught in the middle did not feel abstract.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
-
One, affordability is not just an abstract issue but a life-or-death situation for New Yorkers around the state, who should not be expected to pick between heating or cooling their homes in extreme weather and the ability to put food on the table.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nonobjective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonobjective. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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