painterly

adjective

paint·er·ly ˈpān-tər-lē

: of, relating to, or typical of a painter : artistic

painterly attention to detail

: 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.

Chloe also talks about Vogue’s November cover featuring Jenna Ortega, photographed by Szilveszter Mako, who has attracted a major following for his painterly photography style. — Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026 Harris also helped shape the movie’s imagination sequences, pushing Pixar’s artists toward more spontaneous, painterly images rather than the studio’s usual meticulous realism. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 For more than 60 years, Jungwirth has refined this painterly interplay. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Red Beach at the southernmost point of Santorini is a must-visit for its painterly canvas. — Jennifer Tzeses, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026 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

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

painterliness

painterly

paint frame

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Painterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painterly. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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painterly

adjective

Examples of painterly in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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