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:
For the most part, the retrofuturistic vibes of the northern Virginia airport provide some aesthetic relief from the contemporary indignities of air travel.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
They became a staple of the indie scene through the 2000s, and fit in with the broader, decluttered millennial aesthetic that emerged in the 2010s.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
We are all of us, in short, “Musical Bodies,” the title and subject of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s rousing exhibition celebrating the creative and aesthetic realm where music, art, and global cultures meet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Grass has become a recurring feature of Trump’s effort to remake parts of Washington and the White House grounds according to his preferred aesthetic.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
In the theater, passion and perfectionism and insistence on aesthetic standards are prized qualities, not unruly and unwelcome traits.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
It’s still important to be relevant in a way, but it’s more about aesthetics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
For Smirnoff, O’Keeffe is tackling basic utility—bringing back the handle on its biggest bottle—alongside shelf aesthetics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 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
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
In particular, they can raise a child’s awareness of different moods and aesthetics, allowing them new modes through which to experiment with self-expression and also new material with which to enhance stories and narratives.
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.
