impressionistic

adjective

im·​pres·​sion·​is·​tic (ˌ)im-ˌpre-shə-ˈni-stik How to pronounce impressionistic (audio)
1
or impressionist often capitalized : of, relating to, or constituting impressionism
2
: based on or involving impression as distinct from expertise or fact
intuitions and impressionistic anecdotal accountsSidney Hook
impressionistically adverb

Examples of impressionistic in a Sentence

He wrote an impressionistic account of the battle scene.
Recent Examples on the Web
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The impressionistic doc captures people who have long been contending with the ravages of war and terror, most recently inflicted by ISIS. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 9 May 2025 This is an era of action RPGs coated in the fingerprints of FromSoftware’s brutal, impressionistic Dark Souls. Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 May 2025 More than just cinematic connective tissue, the impressionistic clips transform the TV into a character in itself. Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025 But Martone’s repetitive, tediously non-linear film attempts something more impressionistic and expansive, with emotionally muted and sometimes strangely exploitative results. Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for impressionistic

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of impressionistic was in 1886

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Cite this Entry

“Impressionistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impressionistic. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

impressionistic

adjective
im·​pres·​sion·​is·​tic (ˌ)im-ˌpresh-ə-ˈnis-tik How to pronounce impressionistic (audio)
1
or impressionist often capitalized : of or relating to impressionism
an impressionistic style of painting
2
: based on or involving one's impressions rather than knowledge or facts
impressionistic descriptions
impressionistically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on impressionistic

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