impressionism: Meaning and Definition of

im•pres•sion•ism

1. (usually cap.) a style of painting developed in the last third of the 19th century, characterized chiefly by short brush strokes of bright colors in immediate juxtaposition to represent the effect of light on objects.
2. a manner of painting in which the forms, colors, or tones of an object are lightly and rapidly indicated.
3. a manner of sculpture in which volumes are partially modeled and surfaces roughened to reflect light unevenly.
2. a theory and practice in literature that emphasizes immediate aspects of objects or actions without attention to details.
3. a late-19th-century and early-20th-century style of musical composition in which lush harmonies, subtle rhythms, and unusual tonal colors are used to evoke moods and impressions.