impressionistic

adjective

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

1

or impressionist

im-ˈpre-sh(ə-)nist 

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

impressionistically

(ˌ)im-ˌpre-shə-ˈni-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of impressionistic in a Sentence

He wrote an impressionistic account of the battle scene.

Recent Examples on the Web

People were tired and really didn’t know what to make of a movie that shifts between the points of view of the two main characters and has a subjective, impressionistic mode of storytelling. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024

There’s no saying filmmakers can’t create impressionistic portraits of famous figures, but this one drifts away so lazily that there doesn’t seem to be anything particularly pertinent to Lincoln’s legacy or impact in its making. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024

Pratt tends to be opaquely impressionistic in its lyrics, populating songs with highways and aster dawns; wild centuries and evil innocence. —Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024

Each of its eight episodes is immersive and impressionistic; the camera lingers on the vibrant greens and deep browns of the natural world, in patient shots soundtracked by birdsong, the crunching of leaves underfoot, and serene, wordless music. —Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

impressionistic

adjective

im·​pres·​sion·​is·​tic (ˌ)im-ˌpresh-ə-ˈnis-tik 

1

or impressionist

im-ˈpresh-(ə-)nəst 

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

(ˌ)im-ˌpresh-ə-ˈnis-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb