impressione

Forms

impressione f (plural impressioni, diminutive impressioncèlla)^[1]

Etymology

It is a learned word, borrowed from Latin impressio (“a pressing into; an imprint”).^[2][3][4][1] The Latin noun was formed from impressus, the past participle of imprimō (“to press into, stamp”), which is in- (“on, into”) added to premō (“to press”).^[3][5][6][7] It belongs with the Italian verb imprimere, whose noun it is.^[2][4]

French impression is recorded from 1259, before the Italian word, and Spanish impresión has the same double sense of “impression” and “printing”.^[8][3][9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is in Restoro d'Arezzo's treatise on the composition of the world, of 1282, in the concrete sense of pressing something so that it leaves a mark.^[2][4] Restoro compares wax that is glad to receive the impression of a seal.^[9]

Semantic evolution

By 1354 Iacopo Passavanti used the word for a physical sensation caused by something outside the body, and in the 14th century the Ottimo commentary on Dante used it for the effect of an event on the mind and feelings.^[2] The sense “personal opinion”, an idea suggested by instinct rather than reasoning, is recorded before 1484 in Luigi Pulci.^[2]

With printing the word gained the sense “printing, edition”, recorded in 1477–1480, so that a terza impressione is a third printing of a book.^[2][4] Old Italian also used it for an assault or charge in battle and for a disturbance of the weather, both now obsolete.^[4][6]

The derivative impressionare is recorded in the first half of the 17th century.^[3] The French painters' term impressionniste, suggested to the critic Louis Leroy by Monet's picture Impression, soleil levant (1873), came into Italian as impressionista in 1883.^[3]

Timeline

• 1282 – Restoro d'Arezzo uses impressione for the mark left by pressing.^[2][4]
• 1354 – Iacopo Passavanti uses it for a physical sensation.^[2]
• 14th century – The Ottimo commentary uses it for an emotional effect on the mind.^[2]
• 1477–1480 – The sense “printing, edition” is recorded.^[2]
• Before 1484 – Luigi Pulci uses it for a subjective opinion.^[2]
• 1883 – Impressionista is borrowed from French.^[3]

Meanings

Noun

1. A physical or emotional sensation produced by something outside oneself: un'impressione di umido.^[4][5][10]
2. An impression, a personal idea or feeling not based on reasoning: Ho l'impressione che stia per piovere.^[4][5][11]
3. The effect that a person or thing has on others, fare buona or cattiva impressione, to make a good or bad impression.^[4][10][6]
4. Strong emotion, shock, or a feeling of disgust, fare impressione, to upset, or also to amaze: Gli aghi mi fanno impressione.^[4][5][10]
5. (uncommon) The act of pressing something onto a surface so as to leave a mark, and the mark itself.^[4][5][11]
6. (printing) The act of printing, a printing or edition of a book, and the look of the printed type.^[4][5][6]
7. (archaic) An assault, a charge.^[5][11][6]

Word family

• impressionare
• impressionabile
• impressionabilità
• impressionante
• impressionista
• impressionismo
• impressionistico
• sovrimpressione

Related words

• impresso
• imprimere
• pressione
• Latin impressio

Usage notes

A prima impressione means “at first sight, judging by one's first feelings”.^[10] The diminutive is impressioncella.^[1][6]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d e f Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
5. ^ a b c d e f g Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
6. ^ a b c d e f Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975), p. 1968
9. ^ a b Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca, p. 7, 518
10. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
11. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse