definitions

aestheticism

[ es-thet-uh-siz-uh m or, esp. British, ees- ]
/ ɛsˈθɛt əˌsɪz əm or, esp. British, is- /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR aestheticism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the acceptance of artistic beauty and taste as a fundamental standard, ethical and other standards being secondary.
an exaggerated devotion to art, music, or poetry, with indifference to practical matters.
a late Victorian movement in British and American art characterized by a dedicatedly eclectic search for beauty and by an interest in old English, Japanese, and classical art.

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RELATED WORDS

style, perception, appreciation, elegance, culture, feeling, grace, breeding, improvement, fashion, art, ability, science, practice, experience, civilization, skill, susceptibility, polish, correctness

Nearby words

aesthetic distance, aesthetic labour, aesthetical, aesthetically, aesthetician, aestheticism, aestheticize, aesthetics, aestival, aestivate, aestivation
Also estheticism.

Origin of aestheticism

First recorded in 1855–60; aesthetic + -ism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aestheticism

British Dictionary definitions for aestheticism

aestheticism

sometimes US estheticism

/ (iːsˈθɛtɪˌsɪzəm, ɪs-) /

noun

the doctrine that aesthetic principles are of supreme importance and that works of art should be judged accordingly
sensitivity to beauty, esp in art, music, literature, etc
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012