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nonrepresentational

American  
[non-rep-ri-zen-tay-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:

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2019

Dell Williams solved that particular problem by commissioning nonrepresentational silicone devices with names like “Venus Rising” from Gosnell Duncan, the man who made prosthetics for the disabled.

From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2018

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 Violeta D. Baluyut

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