painterly

1 of 2

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

painterliness

2 of 2

noun

paint·er·li·ness

ˈpāntə(r)lēnə̇s,

-lin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being painterly

Examples of painterly in a Sentence

Adjective 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.

Adjective

Beehive is more delicate, sending up painterly tendrils that form a thin scrim in front of the landscape of volcanic sediment, evergreens, and puffy cumulus clouds. — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026 Matt Dillon's Pick Designer Diana Mahrach's newest Hampton Collection embraces flowing silhouettes and painterly prints that effortlessly blur the line between beachwear and evening attire. — Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Look no further than artist Rebecca Atwood’s textiles, which bring a painterly approach to drapery, upholstery, and more. — Alyssa Longobucco, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2026 One, the visual and symbolic correlation between Shih’s painterly use of shadow in her food- and floral-centered compositions, and the still life masterpieces of the 17th century Dutch. — Stephanie Shih june 17, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for painterly

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Painterly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/painterly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

painterly

adjective

noun

Examples of painterly in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

loquacious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes