Showing results for "aesthetics"

• plural of aesthetic.

aesthetics

American  

[es-thet-iks, ees-] / ɛsˈθɛt ɪks, is- /

Or esthetics

noun

(used with a singular verb)

aesthetics plural

1. the branch of philosophy dealing with such notions as the beautiful, the ugly, the sublime, the comic, etc., as applicable to the fine arts, with a view to establishing the meaning and validity of critical judgments concerning works of art, and the principles underlying or justifying such judgments.

2. the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.

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aesthetics British  

/ iːsˈθɛtɪks, ɪs- /

noun

1. the branch of philosophy concerned with the study of such concepts as beauty, taste, etc

2. the study of the rules and principles of art

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aesthetics Cultural  

1. The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of art and with judgments concerning beauty. “What is art?” and “What do we mean when we say something is beautiful?” are two questions often asked by aestheticians.

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The term aesthete is sometimes used negatively to describe someone whose pursuit of beauty is excessive or appears phony.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aesthetics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aesthetics

First recorded in 1815–25; see origin at aesthetic, -ics

Explanation

Aesthetics is the study of beauty. That might sound funny, but any interior designer or art gallery patron has a thing or two to say about aesthetics. The philosopher, Alexander Baumgarten, gave us our current meaning of aesthetics. In the mid-1700s, he used the word to describe artistic beauty with the added bonus of a value judgment of good or bad taste. The public embraced Baumgarten's usage, and fashion mavens and art critics got a new word to describe the marriage of beauty and taste.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aesthetics

Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency that advises on design and aesthetics, recommended designs for a circulating $1 coin featuring Trump’s head.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

The 21,000-square-foot property became known as Villa Andalusia and combines South Asian aesthetics with European architecture.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

"Our work helps explain our fascination with crystals and contributes to the understanding of the evolutionary roots of aesthetics and worldview," concluded García-Ruiz.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026

In any case, get used to it: China-made vehicles, transplant brands, patented technology and aesthetics are likely to reshape the U.S. auto market in the next decade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

The same goes for Japanese flower arranging ikebana, where a single flower in a simple vase succinctly expresses the nature of Japanese aesthetics and worldview.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin