aesthetic

See also: æsthetic

English

Alternative forms

• æsthetic
• esthetic

Etymology

From German Ästhetik or French esthétique, both from Ancient Greek αἰσθητικός (aisthētikos, “of sense perception”), from αἰσθάνομαι (aisthanomai, “I feel”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /əsˈθɛt.ɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛtɪk

Adjective

aesthetic (comparative more aesthetic, superlative most aesthetic)

1. Concerned with beauty, artistic impact, or appearance.

   It works well enough, but the shabby exterior offends his aesthetic sensibilities.

   • 1881, W. S. Gilbert, Patience, Act I:

     If you're anxious for to shine in the high aesthetic line as a man of culture rare,
     You must get up all the germs of the transcendental terms, and plant them everywhere.

Synonyms

• aesthetical
• esthetic
• tasteful

Antonyms

• inaesthetic
• unaesthetic

Translations

concerned with beauty

• Armenian: գեղագիտական (gełagitakan)
• Bulgarian: естетичен (bg) (estetičen), изящен (bg) (izjašten)
• Catalan: estètic
• Czech: estetický m
• Danish: æstetisk
• Dutch: esthetisch (nl)
• Finnish: esteettinen (fi)
• French: esthétique (fr)
• German: ästhetisch (de)

• Greek: αισθητικός (el) (aisthitikós), καλαίσθητος (el) (kalaísthitos)
• Icelandic: sjónrænn m
• Japanese: 美的な (びてきな, biteki na)
• Latvian: estētisks
• Portuguese: estético (pt)
• Russian: эстетический (ru) (estɛtíčeskij)
• Spanish: estético (es) m
• Swedish: estetisk (sv)

Noun

aesthetic (plural aesthetics)

1. The study of art or beauty.
2. That which appeals to the senses.

Translations

the study of art or beauty — see aesthetics

that which appeals to the senses

• Dutch: esthetische (nl) n
• Finnish: estetiikka (fi)
• French: esthétique (fr) f
• German: Ästhetik (de) f

• Portuguese: estética (pt) f
• Russian: эстетика (ru) f (estɛ́tika)
• Swedish: estetik (sv)

Derived terms

• aesthetically
• aesthetician
• aesthetics
• aesthete
• aesthetisation

Anagrams

• cheatiest