essayistic

American  

[es-ey-is-tik] / ˌɛs eɪˈɪs tɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or like an essay, especially in style, format, or organization and often in reflecting a more personal approach than a treatise, thesis, or the like.

2. resembling formal exposition.

3. expository; discursive; explanatory.

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Etymology

Origin of essayistic

First recorded in 1860–65; essay + -istic

Example Sentences

Rooted in feminist and post-colonial approaches, Sankofa made charged, essayistic films dealing with homosexuality, class and racial discrimination, including “Territories,” a 1984 documentary that spliced footage from an Afro-Caribbean street carnival — including clashes between revelers and the police — with images of staged gay sexual encounters and a reggae soundtrack.

From New York Times

Expanding on a popular essay published in The Paris Review a month after the exposure of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual predation, “Monsters” sustains an essayistic, sometimes aphoristic tone throughout 250-odd pages.

From New York Times

Schiff approached Friday’s program more as he would one of his recitals, which these days are long but often rewarding, essayistic assemblages announced from the stage rather than advertised in advance.

From New York Times

It’s an essayistic approach to drama, which it’s fair to identify as a subgenre of 21st-century art film: picturesque movies about displacement and drift that eschew traditional narrative drive.

From New York Times

When Laurie Anderson set out to make “Heart of a Dog,” her 2015 meditation on love and loss, and wanted to learn how to make an essayistic film, Mr. Luddy asked her to phone Philip Lopate, the film critic and essayist, for a tutorial.

From New York Times