aesthetic
Americanadjective
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relating to the philosophy of aesthetics; concerned with notions such as the beautiful and the ugly.
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relating to the science of aesthetics; concerned with the study of the mind and emotions in relation to the sense of beauty.
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having a sense of the beautiful; characterized by a love of beauty.
- Synonyms:
- refined, cultivated, discriminating
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relating to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectuality.
noun
-
aesthetics
plural
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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.
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one’s set of principles or worldview as expressed through outward appearance, behavior, or actions.
the democratic aesthetic of the abolitionists.
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Archaic. the study of the nature of sensation.
adjective
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connected with aesthetics or its principles
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relating to pure beauty rather than to other considerations
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artistic or relating to good taste
an aesthetic consideration
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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
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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:
For decades, it had been an accepted wisdom in sports like endurance running, cycling, climbing, horse riding, dancing and aesthetic sports like diving and gymnastics.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The less-known works—from a humorous three-screen video to solemn portraits made during military service—hold surprises outside the artist’s signature aesthetic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The splashy aesthetic is a perfect fit for the rocker, who goes by the name “Little Steven” and has made his career performing alongside his close friend Bruce Springsteen.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
Their proximity highlights the common visual and aesthetic traditions that Christians and Jews shared simply by living together, though apart, in the same city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Similarly, the holistic educator places music and the arts in a central position in a child’s education, emphasizing the artistic and aesthetic experiences that only the arts can bring.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
RonBen is a Peruvian-born, Los Angeles–raised stylist, specializing in blending vintage and contemporary aesthetics to create lo que no esperas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Strength training is not about aesthetics or performance.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
And another attendee said she wrote a Substack focused on “nukes, catastrophe, and the aesthetics of risk.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
She tells the BBC: "We're going to be having a messy girl summer" and says "it's a reaction to the clean girl and quite luxury aesthetics that took over our Instagram feeds," last year.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
This chapter will look at the history of multiculturalism and diversity education, the field of ethnomusicology, and strategies for teaching using multicultural music aesthetics.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
