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nonrepresentational

American  
[non-rep-ri-zen-tey-shuh-nl] / ˌnɒn rɛp rɪ zɛnˈteɪ ʃə nl /

adjective

  1. not resembling or portraying any object in physical nature.

    a nonrepresentational painting.


nonrepresentational British  
/ ˌnɒnrɛprɪzɛnˈteɪʃənəl /

adjective

  1. art another word for abstract

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of nonrepresentational

First recorded in 1920–25; non- + representational

Vocabulary lists containing nonrepresentational

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.

See Examples For:

Alfred Leslie, a second-generation Abstract Expressionist and filmmaker who turned his back on nonrepresentational art in the early 1960s to lead a revival of figurative painting, died on Friday in Brooklyn.

From New York Times Jan. 27, 2023

Smith’s painted scores, though nonrepresentational, could be so interpreted.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 13, 2019

Considering that previous Allen Collection exhibits were dominated by realism, this array of often uncompromising, nonrepresentational art comes as something of a surprise.

From Seattle Times May 18, 2017

The nonrepresentational imagery courses like the rivers that inspire her, with fragments of the actual world carried along as flotsam.

From Washington Post Mar. 3, 2016

Although nonrepresentational art is not publicly exhibited, a considerable degree of abstraction became acceptable in the late 1960s.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Baluyut, Violeta D.

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