aesthetic

Or es·thet·ic

[es-thet-ik, ees-]

adjective

1. relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.

2. relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.

3. having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.

   Synonyms: refined, cultivated, discriminating

4. relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. one’s set of principles or worldview as expressed through outward appearance, behavior, or actions.

   the democratic aesthetic of the abolitionists.

4. Archaic.,  the study of the nature of sensation.

aesthetic

/ ɪs-, iːsˈθɛtɪk /

adjective

1. connected with aesthetics or its principles

2. 1. relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations

   2. artistic or relating to good taste

      an aesthetic consideration

noun

1. a principle of taste or style adopted by a particular person, group, or culture

   the Bauhaus aesthetic of functional modernity

Other Word Forms

• nonaesthetic adjective
• pseudoaesthetic adjective
• aesthetically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of aesthetic¹

First recorded in 1795–1800; from New Latin aesthēticus, from Greek aisthētikós “pertaining to sense perception, perceptible, sensitive,” equivalent to aisthēt(ḗs) ( aesthete ) + -ikos -ic

Related Words

• artistic 
• creative 

When To Use

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.