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aesthetic
[ es-thet-ikor, especially British, ees- ]
adjective
- relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.
- relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.
- having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.
Synonyms: refined, cultivated, discriminating
- relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.
noun
- 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.
- one’s set of principles or worldview as expressed through outward appearance, behavior, or actions:
the democratic aesthetic of the abolitionists.
- Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.
aesthetic
/ ɪs-; iːsˈθɛtɪk /
adjective
- connected with aesthetics or its principles
- relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations
- artistic or relating to good taste
an aesthetic consideration
noun
- a principle of taste or style adopted by a particular person, group, or culture
the Bauhaus aesthetic of functional modernity
Derived Forms
- aesˈthetically, adverb
Other Words From
- nonaes·thetic adjective
- pseudo·aes·thetic adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of aesthetic1
Example Sentences
The design is an aesthetic choice, echoing the biomorphic shapes of some Architectural Pottery, but it’s also practical, allowing the viewer to get closer to the exhibits.
This isn’t how I’d want to hear Shostakovich every time, but the Casals should be commended for leaving a different aesthetic and emotional imprint.
Cirque Mechanics, a troupe with a giddy steampunk aesthetic, has produced five previous shows at the New Victory.
The idea of 'brat' was adopted by some fans as a rejection of the "clean girl" aesthetic, popularised on TikTok.
It could be the end of an era for a place that came to define a certain architectural and food aesthetic for Los Angeles.
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About This Word
What else does aesthetic mean?
Where did the term aesthetic come from?
Tumblr kids might want to imagine that they made up aesthetic, but they ultimately have 18th-century German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten for coining aesthetics, recorded in English in the 1760–70s. Treated in ancient and modern philosophy alike, aesthetics considers how humans experience and appreciate beauty, art, and taste.
Fast forward to the 2010s, when the music genre vaporwave helped bring the term aesthetic to the mainstream. Several releases were influential in popularizing the term, including Macintosh Plus’s album Floral Shoppe (2012) and Savvy J’s video “AESTHETIC” (2013).
Vaporwave had a very defined aesthetic—or the curated appearance or style of something, especially when it comes to a look, art, or design, a sense of the word which dates back to the 1950s. Its album covers featured 1980–90s graphics, bright, airbrushed pinks and purples, and images of classical statues and retro technology. While people in vaporwave culture were proud of their aesthetic, others began to satirize its originality online.
Meanwhile, many on social media sites like Tumblr began cultivating blogs with a particular aesthetic, typically based on a particular theme, look, feel, or interest—helping to make this fancy, philosophical word with Greek roots a more common term for “beautiful” or “well-styled.”
How to use the term aesthetic
Aesthetic is both a noun and adjective and is used by everyone from philosophers to bloggers. Something that has aesthetic appeal is very beautiful, attractive, or stylish. Something that has a certain aesthetic features a well-defined and well-cultivated style (e.g., a shabby chic aesthetic, goth aesthetic, or minimalist aesthetic in one’s dress, home, lifestyle, or work). Having a recognizable aesthetic is considered complementary and very desirable, especially in an age of personal brands.
Fashion and football and lip syncing and the gay dance club aesthetic are finally united – its about time
— Jeff Skin Wade (@SkinWade) February 6, 2012
my aesthetic is flamin hot cheetos fingers
— matt gee (@mattgee) July 18, 2017
More examples of aesthetic:
“Pop stars, such as rising artist Rina Sawayama, have adopted the aesthetic and made it a central part of their image, both aesthetically and sonically. Charli XCX and Troye Sivan even released a tribute track entitled “1999,” with album artwork featuring the two artists dressed as characters from “The Matrix,” a film essential to the development of the early 2000s aesthetic.”
—Michael Wu, Study Breaks, October 2018
Note
This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.
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