painterly

adjective

paint·​er·​ly ˈpān-tər-lē How to pronounce painterly (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or typical of a painter : artistic
painterly attention to detail
2
: suggestive or characteristic of a painting or of the art of painting
painterly photography
especially : marked by an openness of form which is not linear and in which sharp outlines are lacking
painterly brushwork
painterliness noun

Examples of painterly in a Sentence

He has a painterly eye. a painterly picture of the sea
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An effect inspired by the idea that metal is not a static material, the finish is created as craftspeople apply multiple layers of an oxidizing solution to the panels, resulting in an ethereal, painterly appearance. Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2025 With painterly narration, Mulligan whisks the audience (mentally) back to The Unsleeping City, a story first explored in 2019. Eric Francisco, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025 Far less open to misinterpretation is Plante’s painterly images, hauntingly using the water’s reflections, infinity horizon and the enormous scumbled grey sky as a physical manifestation of Munir’s turmoil. Jay D. Weissberg, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2025 Mike Buckley created the basic painterly backdrops and mercantile store. Pamela Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for painterly

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of painterly was circa 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Painterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painterly. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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