en plein
Britishadjective
Etymology
Origin of en plein
from French: in full
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The result was 37 paintings begun from the motif en plein air, some worked on later in the studio at Giverny.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2025
For something more substantial, you have to leave en plein air to dine at the hotel’s new lobby restaurant Otium Grill & Greens.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2022
Many years later, I would recognize the hills, and even some homes, in the work of the artist Francis Speight, who had trained in Philadelphia in the 1920s and often painted en plein air nearby.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2021
Redfield favored the technique of painting en plein air, meaning outdoors amidst nature.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 1, 2020
Beowulf had knitted a carrying case with a strap, perfect for those times when one gets the urge to paint en plein air and needs to carry one’s portable easel, paints, and brushes outdoors.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.