Meaning & Definition of Impression in English

1. A vague idea in which some confidence is placed

• "His impression of her was favorable"

• "What are your feelings about the crisis?"

• "It strengthened my belief in his sincerity"

• "I had a feeling that she was lying"

2. An outward appearance

• "He made a good impression"

• "I wanted to create an impression of success"

• "She retained that bold effect in her reproductions of the original painting"

3. A clear and telling mental image

• "He described his mental picture of his assailant"

• "He had no clear picture of himself or his world"

• "The events left a permanent impression in his mind"

4. A concavity in a surface produced by pressing

• "He left the impression of his fingers in the soft mud"

5. A symbol that is the result of printing or engraving

• "He put his stamp on the envelope"

6. All the copies of a work printed at one time

• "They ran off an initial printing of 2000 copies"

7. (dentistry) an imprint of the teeth and gums in wax or plaster

• "The dentist took an impression for use in preparing an inlay"

8. An impressionistic portrayal of a person

• "He did a funny impression of a politician"

9. The act of pressing one thing on or into the surface of another

• "He watched the impression of the seal on the hot wax"