Although the term abstract expressionism was first applied to American art in 1946 by the art critic Robert Coates, it had been first used in Germany in 1919 in the magazine Der Sturm, regarding German Expressionism.
Meski sebutan "ekspresionisme abstrak" pertama diterapkan pada seni Amerika tahun 1946 oleh kritikus seni Robert Coates, sebutan ini pertama digunakan di Jerman tahun 1919 di majalah Der Sturm, mengenai Ekspresionisme Jerman.