aesthetic

or es·thet·ic

[ es-thet-ikor, especially British, ees- ]

adjective

1. relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.
2. relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.
3. having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.

   Synonyms: refined, cultivated, discriminating

4. relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. one’s set of principles or worldview as expressed through outward appearance, behavior, or actions:

   the democratic aesthetic of the abolitionists.

4. Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.

aesthetic

/ ɪs-; iːsˈθɛtɪk /

adjective

1. connected with aesthetics or its principles
2. 1. relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations
   2. artistic or relating to good taste

      an aesthetic consideration

noun

1. a principle of taste or style adopted by a particular person, group, or culture

   the Bauhaus aesthetic of functional modernity

Derived Forms

• aesˈthetically, adverb

Other Words From

• nonaes·thetic adjective
• pseudo·aes·thetic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of aesthetic¹

First recorded in 1795–1800; from New Latin aesthēticus, from Greek aisthētikós “pertaining to sense perception, perceptible, sensitive,” equivalent to aisthēt(ḗs) ( aesthete ) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

However, he has also cautioned fans not to look to the prequel films for clues, but rather the first two films give a better idea of the series' aesthetic.

From Salon

Maybe “The Whale” qualifies with its exploitative aesthetic?

From Los Angeles Times

Still, he read the screenplay with “extreme skepticism. I couldn’t imagine my aesthetic voice could be so applicable to this genre and tone and scale, even though I was a huge fan.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Atlanta rapper has accomplished something comparable to what Tyler, the Creator has done in L.A. over the years — build a self-contained universe around the intersection of uncompromising hip-hop, “Hesher” dirtbag aesthetics and avant-garde fashion.

From Los Angeles Times

The production makes real their complicated friendship without sacrificing the aesthetic nature of Beckett’s universe.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• artistic
• creative
• esthetic

About This Word

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.

Where did the term aesthetic come from?

Tumblr kids might want to imagine that they made up aesthetic, but they ultimately have 18th-century German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten for coining aesthetics, recorded in English in the 1760–70s. Treated in ancient and modern philosophy alike, aesthetics considers how humans experience and appreciate beauty, art, and taste.

Fast forward to the 2010s, when the music genre vaporwave helped bring the term aesthetic to the mainstream. Several releases were influential in popularizing the term, including Macintosh Plus’s album Floral Shoppe (2012) and Savvy J’s video “AESTHETIC” (2013).

Vaporwave had a very defined aesthetic—or the curated appearance or style of something, especially when it comes to a look, art, or design, a sense of the word which dates back to the 1950s. Its album covers featured 1980–90s graphics, bright, airbrushed pinks and purples, and images of classical statues and retro technology. While people in vaporwave culture were proud of their aesthetic, others began to satirize its originality online.

Meanwhile, many on social media sites like Tumblr began cultivating blogs with a particular aesthetic, typically based on a particular theme, look, feel, or interest—helping to make this fancy, philosophical word with Greek roots a more common term for “beautiful” or “well-styled.”

How to use the term aesthetic

Aesthetic is both a noun and adjective and is used by everyone from philosophers to bloggers. Something that has aesthetic appeal is very beautiful, attractive, or stylish. Something that has a certain aesthetic features a well-defined and well-cultivated style (e.g., a shabby chic aesthetic, goth aesthetic, or minimalist aesthetic in one’s dress, home, lifestyle, or work). Having a recognizable aesthetic is considered complementary and very desirable, especially in an age of personal brands.

Fashion and football and lip syncing and the gay dance club aesthetic are finally united – its about time

— Jeff Skin Wade (@SkinWade) February 6, 2012

my aesthetic is flamin hot cheetos fingers

— matt gee (@mattgee) July 18, 2017

More examples of aesthetic:

“Pop stars, such as rising artist Rina Sawayama, have adopted the aesthetic and made it a central part of their image, both aesthetically and sonically. Charli XCX and Troye Sivan even released a tribute track entitled “1999,” with album artwork featuring the two artists dressed as characters from “The Matrix,” a film essential to the development of the early 2000s aesthetic.”
—Michael Wu, Study Breaks, October 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.