expressionism means A movement in the arts in which the artist did not depict objective reality, but rather a subjective expression of their inner experiences. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
expressionism is pronounced /ɛksˈpɹɛˈʃən.ɪzm/.
Why “expressionism” is a great word
EXPRESSIONISM — [Noun] An early 20th-century modernist movement in the arts dedicated to expressing the artist’s internal, subjective experience over any objective depiction of external reality. From French expressionnisme, from expression (from Latin expressiō, "a pressing out, expression") + the suffix -isme ("-ism"), denoting a practice or system; first used in English c. 1914 to describe the artistic movement. Unlike "Impressionism," which captures the fleeting, sensory impression of a scene, or "Realism," which commits to a truthful record of the external world, Expressionism is a violent wrenching of form and color to channel raw emotional truth. It is the scream that distorts the face, the cityscape bowed under the weight of anxiety, and the melody twisted into raw dissonance—an art born from the conviction that truth is felt in the gut, not seen with the eye.
noun
- A movement in the arts in which the artist did not depict objective reality, but rather a subjective expression of their inner experiences.
- A somewhat analogous genre in early 20th century music.