aesthetic

adjective

Save Word

aes·thet·ic | \ es-ˈthe-tik

, is-, British usually ēs- \

variants: also US esthetic or aesthetical or US esthetical \ es-ˈthe-ti-kəl

, 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

aes·thet·ic | \ es-ˈthe-tik

, is-, British usually ēs- \

variants: or less commonly esthetic

Definition of aesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)

1 aesthetics also esthetics\ es-ˈthe-tiks

, is- , British usually ēs- \ 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

Other Words from aesthetic Synonyms & Antonyms The Singular (Or Plural) Art of Aesthetics More Example Sentences Learn More about aesthetic

Keep scrolling for more

The Singular (Or Plural) Art of Aesthetics

Noun

The noun aesthetic is often found used in its plural form. In the plural form, aesthetics can refer to the theory of art and beauty—and in particular the question of what makes something beautiful or interesting to regard:

Although he could extemporize animatedly about the history of the valve seat grinder, or the art of ropemaking, or how long it took to manually drill blast holes into a deposit of coal, aesthetics were another matter. The unlikely beauty of his rusty treasures defied elaboration.
Donovan Hohn, Harper’s, January 2005

This sense is sometimes encountered in constructions that treat it as singular:

With the removal of the studio packages, those cinema owners still providing double features began exploring less arbitrary and more justified pairings of films. The double feature became a special element of movie houses concentrating on the presentation of classic and art films. And this is where an aesthetics of the double feature emerges.
Chadwick Jenkins, PopMatters, 16 Aug. 2016

So Sontag was wrong to describe camp as an "unserious, 'aesthete's' vision." Aesthetics is always serious when agreed-upon interpretations are changed or stolen or emptied out.
Dave Hickey, Harper's, December 2009

A word that follows a similar pattern is poetics, (which also happens to be the title of a work by Aristotle focusing on literary theory and discourse):

A poetics of film, he has argued, seeks to reveal the conventions that films use to achieve their effects-and cognitive explanations provide insight into how and why filmic conventions, like shot-reverse-shot or empathy close-ups, produce the effects they do.
Alissa Quart, Lingua Franca, March 2000

As a plural noun, aesthetics can also be used as a synonym for beauty:

For reasons of economy and aesthetics, though, most of the house was stick built and is perfectly cozy without any elaborate beam work.
Andrew Vietze, Down East, May 2003

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 building Noun Aesthetics is an important part of Greek philosophy. the aesthetics of the gemstones

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Nagnata is a luxury fashion and lifestyle brand informed by movement and mind practices, known for its contemporary movement knitwear aesthetic. — Karin Eldor, Forbes, 1 June 2021 Some were aesthetic: the lighting; walls and staircases that were misplaced. — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 31 May 2021 This stretching-the-season approach is not just aesthetic, but also key to ecologically minded designs incorporating native plants. — Margaret Roach, Arkansas Online, 22 May 2021 In others, couples’ desires are simply aesthetic and can cause arguments in the comment section: for instance, a single white woman asking for a Black donor, or a darker-skinned Black couple asking for a white or biracial donor. — Tonya Russell, The Atlantic, 21 May 2021 Republicans are already advancing a distinct—if ugly and tasteless—aesthetic. — Kate Wagner, The New Republic, 11 May 2021 Sophia, for her part, admires Nicole’s classic, effortless aesthetic. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 10 May 2021 No matter what your style aesthetic may be, nothing beats a cozy outfit that is chic and versatile. — Nandi Howard, Essence, 4 May 2021 Viewers will also learn about Afrofuturism as a philosophy, aesthetic, genre and tool for social change. — ABC News, 18 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The four leaders of the renegade community of misfits and party people are noted for bringing their groovy music and colorful and psychedelic aesthetic to 100 shows a year around the world, including Ibiza, Los Angeles, London and Berlin. — Lisa Kocay, Forbes, 4 June 2021 The early 2000s aesthetic between the lavender velour fits and the showstopping solo got everyone in the audience out of their seats. — D'shonda Brown, Essence, 1 June 2021 Makeup brand Lunar Beauty's entire aesthetic is inspired by all things moon. — Sara Radin, Harper's BAZAAR, 26 May 2021 His jewels also appeal to the exploding number of young art collectors who are just discovering Calder’s playful and exuberant aesthetic. — Jill N Newman, Town & Country, 21 May 2021 To enhance the new model’s retro aesthetic, Zenith created two options to secure it to the wrist. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 19 May 2021 The ambiguities of her experience, the doubt as to whether her own perceptions or the people around her are untrustworthy, give rise to the movie’s unusual aesthetic. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 May 2021 After a long afternoon beating back the mutant hordes, players can retire to a musty lounge constructed entirely out of tin cans and bobbleheads in that indelible retro-futuristic aesthetic that belongs to Fallout and Fallout alone. — Luke Winkie, Vulture, 4 May 2021 Samurai Jack, and his take on the prequels’ unique Imperial-skyloft aesthetic is a stunning collision of intense action setpieces. — Ew Staff, EW.com, 4 May 2021

These 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.

History and Etymology for aesthetic

Adjective

borrowed from German ästhetisch "pertaining to taste or discernment," borrowed from New Latin aestheticus, borrowed from Greek aisthētikós "of sense perception, sensitive, perceptive," from aisthētós "sensible, perceptible" (verbal adjective of aisthánomai, aisthánesthai "to perceive, take notice of, understand," going back to *awis-t^h-, from *awis-, base of Greek aḯein "to perceive, hear" + -t^h-, resultative noun suffix) + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at audible entry 1

Note: German aesthetisch/ästhetisch (New Latin aestheticus) was initially promulgated as a philosophical term in the work of Alexander Baumgarten (1714-62) and subsequently by Immanuel Kant.

Noun

borrowed from German Ästhetik, borrowed from New Latin aesthetica, from feminine of aestheticus aesthetic entry 1 — more at -ics

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about aesthetic

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Entries near aesthetic

Statistics for aesthetic

Last Updated

7 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Aesthetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aesthetic. Accessed 12 Jun. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

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

: 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

aes·thet·ic | \ es-ˈthe-tik

Kids Definition of aesthetic

: relating to beauty and what is beautiful They made aesthetic improvements to the building.

aesthetic

adjective

aes·thet·ic | \ es-ˈthe-tik, British usually ēs-

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