semi-abstract

American  

[sem-ee-ab-strakt, -ab-strakt, sem-ahy-] / ˌsɛm iˈæb strækt, -æbˈstrækt, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

adjective

1. pertaining to or designating a style of painting or sculpture in which the subject remains recognizable although the forms are highly stylized in a manner derived from abstract art.

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Other Word Forms

• semi-abstraction noun

Etymology

Origin of semi-abstract

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

One early painting, the semi-abstract “Salazar Vomiting the Homeland,” excoriated the dictatorship and would have been impossible to display at the time in Portugal.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 8, 2022

"It's a figure who is in side profile," Mr Cowley told the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, describing the work as a "semi-abstract portrait".

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2021

She was a talented artist and did several lovely semi-abstract self-portraits.

From Slate • Aug. 10, 2020

Henry Moore wanted timeless nature to be seen through the signature holes in his monumental, semi-abstract odalisques, but in Lucas’ sculptures enduring culture is what gets glimpsed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2019

And observe that St. John does not, in applying these semi-abstract words to God, attenuate in the slightest degree His personality.

From Christian Mysticism by Inge, William Ralph