pointillism

noun

often capitalized
: the theory or practice in art of applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that from a distance they blend together

Examples of pointillism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The words were also crafted differently — this time they were placed in black crystals for a pointillism effect. Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 15 July 2024 In these landscapes, naturalism and abstraction often battle to a pulsating draw by means of a magnified, or coarsened pointillism that recalls Seurat in its mosaic-like array of dots, dashes and commas. Roberta Smith, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 The fragmentary style of the novel is the literary equivalent of pointillism: examined close up, some of the dots seem random, misplaced, perhaps even ugly, but take a broader view and the effect is as mysterious as being in love. June Thomas, New York Times, 16 June 2023 Seurat’s solution was to invent pointillism, the technique of constructing pictures from small dots of complementary colors. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 1 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for pointillism 

Word History

Etymology

French pointillisme, from pointiller to stipple, from point spot, from Old French — more at point

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pointillism was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near pointillism

Cite this Entry

“Pointillism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pointillism. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

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