aestheticism
[ es-thet-uh-siz-uh m or, esp. British, ees- ]
/ ɛsˈθɛt əˌsɪz əm or, esp. British, is- /
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.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
aesthetic distance, aesthetic labour, aesthetical, aesthetically, aesthetician, aestheticism, aestheticize, aesthetics, aestival, aestivate, aestivation
Also estheticism.
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
Word Origin and History for aestheticism
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper