aesthetic
adjective
, is-, British usually ēs-\
\
Definition of aesthetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
aesthetic
noun
, is-, British usually ēs-\
Definition of aesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)
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Other Words from aesthetic
Adjective
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adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for aesthetic
Synonyms: Adjective
attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny (also bonnie) [chiefly British], comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, likely, lovely, lovesome, pretty, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored
Antonyms: Adjective
grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, uncute, unhandsome, unlovely, unpleasing, unpretty, unsightly
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Examples of aesthetic in a Sentence
Adjective
My generation has an annoying penchant for treating luxuries as necessities and turning guilty pleasures into aesthetic and even moral touchstones. — Terrence Rafferty, GQ, October 1997 Whereas the essence of Proust's aesthetic position was contained in the deceptively simple yet momentous assertion that "a picture's beauty does not depend on the things portrayed in it." — Alain de Botton, How Proust Can Change Your Life, 1997 I suppose that jazz listening and prizefight watching are my two most passionate avocations, and this is largely so because the origins of my aesthetic urges are in the black working class. — Gerald Early, "The Passing of Jazz's Old Guard: … ," in The Best American Essays 1986, Elizabeth Hardwick & Robert Atwan, editors, 1986 There are practical as well as aesthetic reasons for planting trees. making aesthetic improvements to the buildingNoun
Aesthetics is an important part of Greek philosophy. the aesthetics of the gemstones
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Keep the focus on the food with a classic aesthetic and opt for traditional BODBYN cabinets in a warm grey. — Jessica Dailey, Good Housekeeping, "Your Style," 11 Feb. 2019 No matter who was at the helm in the history of the design house, Celine has always had a very specific aesthetic. — Avery Matera, Teen Vogue, "Celine Spring 2019 PFW Show Is Panned on Social Media," 29 Sep. 2018 Though he was billed primarily as a rapper, XXXTentacion also dabbled in genres like punk and emo, favoring a lo-fi aesthetic that came from recording at home instead of in professional studios. — New York Times, "XXXTentacion Signed $10 Million Album Deal Before His Death," 8 July 2018 As a comic-book artist, Liefeld was drawn to a particularly masculine aesthetic: His characters were totemic, musclebound creations, all arms and torsos, their faces scored by dark lines to suggest constant internal anguish. — David Sims, The Atlantic, "The Dour Resurgence of Cable, Deadpool 2’s Anti-Hero," 23 May 2018 Meanwhile, much of Kanye West’s Yeezy collection for Adidas, with its Realtree cargo pants ($385), bomber jackets ($750), and Army-style lace-up boots ($445) is in line with a certain military aesthetic, though offered at a luxury price point. — Max Berlinger, GQ, "Why Everyone Is Dressing Like They Shop at the Army Surplus Store," 18 May 2018 Despite having the same display as the S4, the Tab S5e has a more modern look, with rounded corners that give it a sleeker, more refined aesthetic. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "The ultra-thin Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e has an OLED screen, Android Pie and no S Pen for $400," 15 Feb. 2019 The ease allows for different vertical heights as his professional (or aesthetic) needs change. — Kaitlin Menza, House Beautiful, "The Walls of This Home Office Are Devilishly Functional," 31 Jan. 2019 The jumpsuits are bringing an entirely new element into Castillo’s own show, which, until now, has showcased her largely feminine aesthetic, and her signature evening wear and bridal gowns. — Emily Deciccio, Fox News, "'Project Runway' star's NYFW show will reveal the Blue Man Group's new look," 31 Aug. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
While this look prizes ease above all else, there are a few tricks to deftly executing this style for both utility and aesthetics. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "Modern Victorian Updos Are Taking Over Instagram—Here’s How to Do Them Right," 13 Mar. 2019 The threads running through the sleek new store is a kind of Miesian geometric monumentalism, an aesthetic composed of natural materials that's at once chic and austere. — Charles Curkin, ELLE Decor, "Fashion brand Celine launches new store concept in New York City," 22 Feb. 2019 While ladylike blowouts and romantic half-updos are usually on the royal beauty menu for Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, today’s athletic activities warranted a different aesthetic. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "Kate Middleton Takes a Sporty Page From Meghan Markle’s Beauty Playbook," 27 Feb. 2019 Donald Trump has created a political aesthetic of the middlebrow. — Constance Grady, Vox, "What it means that we keep talking about America like it’s a TV show," 27 Dec. 2018 Blum’s trucks have a unique aesthetic — a simple vintage design with a modern twist evident in their floor-to-ceiling glass display cases. — Justin Phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "How a San Francisco doughnut shop got a part in the new Denzel Washington movie.," 28 Feb. 2018 Faucets If aesthetics are the driving force behind your kitchen redesign, pay extra attention to your faucet. — Jessica Dailey, Good Housekeeping, "Sinks," 11 Feb. 2019 Ever since the arrival of the iPhone, car designers have aspired to replicate that sleek, glassy aesthetic within the cabin. — Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, "The Touchscreen Infotainment Systems in New Cars Are a Distracting Mess," 7 Feb. 2019 Much like hip-hop music, which itself has Jamaican roots, style aesthetics are as much a part of dancehall culture as the music and dancing that goes with it. — Sharine Taylor, Allure, "For These Dancehall Artists, Hair Is Just as Important as the Music," 27 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aesthetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Dictionary Entries near aesthetic
Statistics for aesthetic
Last Updated
19 Mar 2019
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for aesthetic
The first known use of aesthetic was in 1797
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More Definitions for aesthetic
aesthetic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of aesthetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
aesthetic
noun
English Language Learners Definition of aesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for aesthetic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
aesthetic
adjective
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Kids Definition of aesthetic
aesthetic
adjective
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Medical Definition of aesthetic
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