Advertisement

Origin and history of impression

impression(n.)

late 14c., impressioun, "mark produced by pressure," also "image produced in the mind or emotions by something external," from Old French impression "print, stamp; a pressing on the mind" (13c.), from Latin impressionem (nominative impressio) "a pressing into, onset, attack," figuratively "a perception, mental impression," literally "a pressing into," from imprimere "press into or upon" (see impress (v.1)).

The meaning "act or process of making a mark upon the surface by pressing" is from early 15c.. That of "copy made by pressure from type or an engraving" is from 1550s; that of "printing of a number of copies, aggregate of copies printed at one time" is from 1570s. The meaning "belief, vague notion" (as in under the impression) is attested by 1610s.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to impression

impress(v.1)

late 14c., impressen, "have a strong effect on the mind or heart, stamp deeply in the mind;" also literal, "make a permanent image in," from Old French empresser and directly from Latin impressus, past participle of imprimere "press into or upon, stamp," also figurative, from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + premere "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress" (from PIE root *per- (4) "to strike"). Related: Impressed; impressing.

impressionable(adj.)

"susceptible to (mental) impressions," 1827, from French impressionable (earliest English examples are in French translations and settings); see impression + -able. Related: Impressionability (1831). Earlier was impressible (1620s).

impressionism(n.)

1839 as a term in philosophy, from impression + -ism. With reference to the French art movement, 1879, often with initial capital, from impressionist. Extended 1880s to music (Debussy), literature, etc.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    depression
    c. 1400 as a term in astronomy, "angular distance of a star below the horizon," from Old French depression (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin depressionem (nominative depressio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin deprimere "to press down, depress" (see depres
    imprint
    formerly also emprint, late 14c., imprenten, emprenten, "to mark by pressure, stamp; to impress on the mind or memory," from Old French empreinter "to stamp, engrave, imprint," from empreinte "mark, impression, imprint" (13c.), noun use of fem. past participle of eimpreindre "to
    belief
    late 12c., bileave, "confidence reposed in a person or thing; faith in a religion," replacing Old English geleafa "belief, faith," from West Germanic *ga-laubon "to hold dear, esteem, trust" (source also of Old Saxon gilobo, Middle Dutch gelove, Old High German giloubo, German Gl
    print
    c. 1300, prente, "impression, mark made by impression upon a surface" (as by a stamp or seal), from Old French preinte "impression...
    delusion
    As a form of mental derangement, "false impression or belief of a fixed nature," 1550s....delusion is a belief that, though false, has been surrendered to and accepted by the whole mind as a truth; illusion is an impression...
    mark
    "trace, impression," Old English mearc (West Saxon), merc (Mercian) "boundary, limit; sign, landmark," from Proto-Germanic...had evolved by Old English through "pillar, post, etc. as a sign of a boundary," through "a sign in general," then to "impression...Meaning "any visible trace or impression" is recorded by c. 1200....
    scratch
    c. 1400, scracchen, transitive, "mark or wound slightly on the surface by a scraping or tearing action with something rough, sharp, or pointed," probably a fusion of Middle English scratten and crachen, both meaning "to scratch," both of uncertain origin. Also compare scr-. Relat
    sale
    Middle English sale, from late Old English sala "a sale, act of selling," which according to OED probably is from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse sala "sale," but in either case from Proto-Germanic *salo (source also of Old High German sala, Swedish salu, Danish salg), fr
    seal
    "design stamped on wax," especially an impressed figure attached to a document as evidence of authenticity, c. 1200, sel, sele, from Old French seel, seal "seal on a letter" (Modern French sceau), from Vulgar Latin *sigellum (source of Italian suggello, Spanish sello; also Old Fr

    Share impression

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near impression
    Advertisement