/ ɪmˈpreʃənɪzəm; NAmE / noun
[ U ] a style in painting developed in France in the late 19th century that uses colour to show the effects of light on things and to suggest atmosphere rather than showing exact details
► Im·pres·sion·ist adjective [ usually before noun ]:
Impressionist landscapes
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WORD ORIGIN
from French impressionnisme , from impressionniste , originally applied unfavourably with reference to Monet's painting Impression: soleil levant (1872).