aesthetic
Americanadjective
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relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.
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relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.
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having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.
- Synonyms:
- refined, cultivated, discriminating
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relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.
noun
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aesthetics
plural
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the philosophical theory or set of principles governing the idea of beauty at a given time and place.
the clean lines, bare surfaces, and sense of space that bespeak the machine-age aesthetic;
the Cubist aesthetic.
-
a particular individual’s set of ideas about style and taste, along with its expression.
the designer’s aesthetic of accessible, wearable fashion;
a great aesthetic on her blog.
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one’s set of principles or worldview as expressed through outward appearance, behavior, or actions.
the democratic aesthetic of the abolitionists.
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Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.
adjective
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connected with aesthetics or its principles
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relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations
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artistic or relating to good taste
an aesthetic consideration
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noun
Usage
What else does aesthetic mean? Aesthetic concerns what is considered beautiful. In pop culture, an aesthetic refers to the overall style of someone or something, like a musical sound, interior design, or even a social-media presence. In the 2010s, the term became closely associated with vaporwave culture on Tumblr.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of aesthetic
First recorded in 1795–1800; from New Latin aesthēticus, from Greek aisthētikós “pertaining to sense perception, perceptible, sensitive,” equivalent to aisthēt(ḗs) ( see aesthete) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
The adjective aesthetic comes in handy when the subject at hand is beauty or the arts. A velvet painting of dogs playing poker might have minimal aesthetic appeal. Aesthetic, from a Greek word meaning "perception," comes to us from German philosophers who used it for a theory of the beautiful. From this technical sense, it soon came to refer to good taste and to artistry in general; if something has "aesthetic value," it has value as a work of art (even if nobody will pay much for it). It does not, however, refer to the objects themselves; do not talk about an "aesthetic painting."
Vocabulary lists containing aesthetic
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Her sound and aesthetic feel exactly like her. It’s vulnerable and raw and beautiful.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Evans discovered through social media that treatments were available and found aesthetic practitioners in England offering it to those with scars.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
Its inaugural exhibition, “Georgian Contemporary Art: Origins and Continuities,” traces the nation’s creative history from the 1960s to the present, revealing how aesthetic, social and political changes shaped Georgia and its artists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
What connects this place of worship to a band known for its macabre aesthetic, however, is its music video for the song “Helena” from the album “Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
The first feature consists of pottery designs, which are aesthetic features of no economic significance but which do let archaeologists immediately recognize an early Austronesian site.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Rather than adopting the appearance of British or white American goths, Latinas playing with goth aesthetics forged an identity rooted directly in their own homes and neighborhoods, crafting a subculture all their own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Dani, 39, a nurse, also ran an aesthetics business while Tom, 38, had a construction business.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Strength training is not about aesthetics or performance.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
And another attendee said she wrote a Substack focused on “nukes, catastrophe, and the aesthetics of risk.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
We must also bear in mind that art appreciation is more than enjoyment of aesthetics.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
