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.

---

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

---

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.

---

Discover More

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

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

Her story has become a focal point in a growing debate about Britain's booming aesthetics industry, where cosmetic injectables are now available everywhere, from High Street beauty salons to rented office spaces and hotel rooms.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

Daisy’s husband Matt, for one, feels torn about the spoopiness that retailers foreground with their shelves of pastel pumpkins and rainbow-hued ghosts, and not just because of the aesthetics.

From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2026

My brother’s fashion sensibilities run more into the support-your-sports-team end of the aesthetics spectrum, whereas this guy is wearing a faded concert T-shirt under a fashionably loud plaid jacket and fitted, distressed jeans.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali