aesthetic
Americanadjective
-
relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.
-
relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.
-
having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.
- Synonyms:
- refined, cultivated, discriminating
-
relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.
noun
-
the philosophical theory or set of principles governing the idea of beauty at a given time and place.
the clean lines, bare surfaces, and sense of space that bespeak the machine-age aesthetic;
the Cubist aesthetic.
-
a particular individual’s set of ideas about style and taste, along with its expression.
the designer’s aesthetic of accessible, wearable fashion;
a great aesthetic on her blog.
-
one’s set of principles or worldview as expressed through outward appearance, behavior, or actions.
the democratic aesthetic of the abolitionists.
-
Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.
adjective
-
connected with aesthetics or its principles
-
-
relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations
-
artistic or relating to good taste
an aesthetic consideration
-
noun
Usage
What else does aesthetic mean? Aesthetic concerns what is considered beautiful. In pop culture, an aesthetic refers to the overall style of someone or something, like a musical sound, interior design, or even a social-media presence. In the 2010s, the term became closely associated with vaporwave culture on Tumblr.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of aesthetic
First recorded in 1795–1800; from New Latin aesthēticus, from Greek aisthētikós “pertaining to sense perception, perceptible, sensitive,” equivalent to aisthēt(ḗs) ( see aesthete) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
The adjective aesthetic comes in handy when the subject at hand is beauty or the arts. A velvet painting of dogs playing poker might have minimal aesthetic appeal. Aesthetic, from a Greek word meaning "perception," comes to us from German philosophers who used it for a theory of the beautiful. From this technical sense, it soon came to refer to good taste and to artistry in general; if something has "aesthetic value," it has value as a work of art (even if nobody will pay much for it). It does not, however, refer to the objects themselves; do not talk about an "aesthetic painting."
Vocabulary lists containing aesthetic
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Top "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Great Gatsby
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"This season is a wipe-out. From a tourist, ecological and aesthetic point of view, it's a long-term disaster."
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
The seven-bedroom dwelling—which sits on nearly 2 acres just off the iconic Pacific Coast Highway—features an exotic European-inspired aesthetic, both inside and out.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Nike’s previous leadership had leaned too heavily on popular lifestyle sneakers, such as Dunks, a strategy that backfired when those basketball silhouettes lost heat in favor of the running-shoe aesthetic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
We hear the underdog aesthetic term rasquachismo used to describe these early impromptu performances: essentially a colorful funkiness, “so funky that nothing can undermine you,” Valdez says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
It had enough Goth influences to fit with Slash's aesthetic, but it still felt classic and timeless.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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
In any case, get used to it: China-made vehicles, transplant brands, patented technology and aesthetics are likely to reshape the U.S. auto market in the next decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 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
Each wheel was to be separate yet united, in accordance with the young nation’s federalism, as well as classically symmetrical, in accordance with Jeffersonian aesthetics.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
