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.
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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:
She said the scale, height, and mass of the new ballroom would impair her aesthetic, cultural, and historical interests in viewing and appreciating the White House.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2026
The National Trust's case was brought on behalf of member Alison Hoagland, a Washington resident who claims that seeing the finished ballroom would result in damage to her "aesthetic, cultural, and historical interests."
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
For DeLorenzo, the New York aesthetic revolves around “a play set in an apartment with a couch.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Federer may no longer have the most major tournament victories—both Novak Djokovic and Nadal put his 20 in the rear view for men’s singles—but his leaping, balletic style remains the sport’s aesthetic ideal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
There can be little doubt, on the other hand, that people possess an aesthetic faculty.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Her aesthetics were deliberately cultivated, another calculated move from a shrewd entrepreneur who understood showbusiness as well as she understood people.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Hilton, Lohan and their ilk infiltrated these scenes as well, and to hear Willetts tell it, the music and imagery that came out of both influenced the nightlife aesthetics everywhere, especially in the U.K.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
He believes the audience could be broader than former users, with younger generations embracing the early-2000s aesthetics they never experienced firsthand.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
AbbVie’s acquisition of Allergan worked out fine, with Botox and other aesthetics products helping cushion Humira’s decline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
What are the musical aesthetics of that music?
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions 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.
