aesthetic
adjective
is- ,
British usually
ēs- \
\
Definition of aesthetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a : of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful aesthetic theories
b : artistic a work of aesthetic value
c : pleasing in appearance : attractive … easy-to-use keyboards, clear graphics, and other ergonomic and aesthetic features … —Mark Mehler
2 : appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful also : responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses his aesthetic sensibility
3 : done or made to improve a person's appearance or to correct defects in a person's appearance aesthetic plastic surgery
aesthetic
noun
is- ,
British usually
ēs- \
Definition of aesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)
1 aesthetics also esthetics plural in form but singular or plural in construction : a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty
2 : a particular theory or conception of beauty or art : a particular taste for or approach to what is pleasing to the senses and especially sight modernist aesthetics staging new ballets which reflected the aesthetic of the new nation —Mary Clarke & Clement Crisp
3 aesthetics also esthetics plural : a pleasing appearance or effect : beauty appreciated the aesthetics of the gemstones
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Other words from aesthetic
Adjective
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adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for aesthetic
Synonyms: Adjective
attractive, beauteous, beautiful, comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, 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
After all, Cyrus has gone through more than a few aesthetic transformations throughout her career. — refinery29.com, "Why Did Miley Cyrus Delete Her Instagram Posts? Fans Have A Few Theories," 14 July 2018 But the latter demonstrates an aesthetic problem with much of the food here that's at odds with the bright, white-tiled cheeriness of the room. — Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, "At 3 Squares Diner there’s a dog that won’t bark," 12 July 2018 The couple’s Midcentury aesthetic ran like a thread through every element of the wedding, beginning with the invites by Goods Gang and paper goods by Jen Kay, with illustrations by Tabitha Hope. — Tamara Abraham, Harper's BAZAAR, "This Bridal Shop Owner Wore Five Different Dresses for her Palm Springs Wedding," 10 July 2018 Photos: Adrienne Grunwald for The Wall Street Journal(2) Mr. Snyder’s aesthetic has been informed not only by his relatives but also his work experience. — Ray A. Smith, WSJ, "A ‘Modern Preppy’ Maestro Makes Peace With Streetwear," 10 July 2018 This should be a pleasing aesthetic matchup with a couple of tall lefties with unconventional deliveries squaring off in the second game of a three-game series between the Angels and Dodgers. — Michael Beller, SI.com, "A Look at The Fantasy All-Stars Who Should Find Themselves in D.C.," 9 July 2018 The stories that really penetrate in this book, in addition to dancing us clean, marry linguistic fireworks with all the emotional meat that is behind DeWitt’s aesthetic mission, i.e.: Describing all that which words can never really reach. — Brittany Allen, Longreads, "Getting Tricked by Helen DeWitt," 9 July 2018 At just three-years-old, Princess Charlotte knows the importance of having a signature aesthetic (er, at least her mom, the Duchess of Cambridge, does). — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Princess Charlotte Just Debuted a New Hairstyle at Prince Louis's Christening," 9 July 2018 The sturdy wood doors lead into a 220-square-foot interior, where the designers have outfitted the space with a traditional aesthetic. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Behold, a tiny Tudor house with traditional style," 11 June 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The simpler the aesthetic, the more enchanting the staging. — Charles Mcnulty, latimes.com, "'The Tempest' at the Old Globe: Kate Burton casts a benevolent spell as Prospera," 26 June 2018 Like much of both artists’ recent work, the album makes liberal use of liberation aesthetics, often juxtaposed directly with riffs on bourgeois pursuits. — Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, "Do Beyoncé Fans Have to Forgive Jay-Z?," 18 June 2018 His bar sits just across the street, and a thousand miles away from, the depersonalized postwar cocktail lounge aesthetic of the Safari Club. — Bill Savage, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Books / Booze / Food & Drink Can a Division Street cocktail bar truly capture the spirit of Nelson Algren?," 13 June 2018 Wards recognizes achievement in aesthetics, comfort, ergonomics, material use, fit-and-finish and user-friendly technology. — Emma Jayne Williams, star-telegram, "Kia’s all-new 2018 Stinger sport sedan offers premium features, performance | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 12 May 2018 During the ’80s, Ralph Lauren rose to prominence by taking the preppy aesthetic, once relegated to the American elite, and selling it as an accessible look to the masses. — Chavie Lieber, Vox, "Fashion brands steal design ideas all the time. And it’s completely legal.," 27 Apr. 2018 The paramilitary aesthetic extended to products that had nothing to do with guns. — Elliott Woods, The New Republic, "Essential reporting, interpretation, and opinion on politics and culture. Don't miss our latest.," 16 Apr. 2018 Panelists include: Bree Gant: A Detroit documentarian and Howard University graduate whose work explores Black aesthetics, ritual and emergence. — Detroit Free Press, "Freep Film Festival 2018: All the Friday movies and special events," 13 Apr. 2018 Though all fall under the brand’s eclectic aesthetic, the designs are as distinct as the artists themselves. — Sunset, "You’re Going to Want All of These Artist-Designed Home Décor Pieces," 22 Jan. 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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Dictionary Entries near aesthetic
Statistics for aesthetic
Last Updated
17 Sep 2018
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)
: of or relating to art or beauty
aesthetic
noun
English Language Learners Definition of aesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)
: a set of ideas or opinions about beauty or art
aesthetics : the study of beauty especially in art and literature
: the artistic or beautiful qualities of something
See the full definition for aesthetic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
aesthetic
adjective
\
Kids Definition of aesthetic
: relating to beauty and what is beautiful They made aesthetic improvements to the building.
aesthetic
adjective
\
Medical Definition of aesthetic
: done or made to improve a person's appearance or to correct defects in a person's appearance aesthetic plastic surgery Dentists are still drilling and filling, but the fastest growing part of the practices are aesthetic procedures, such as bleaching teeth and using tooth-colored material for fillings … —Sarah Skidmore, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2005
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