( NAmE also es·thet·ic ) / iːsˈθetɪk; es-; NAmE es-/ adjective , noun
■ adjective
1.
concerned with beauty and art and the understanding of beautiful things :
an aesthetic appreciation of the landscape
The benefits of conservation are both financial and aesthetic.
2.
made in an artistic way and beautiful to look at :
Their furniture was more aesthetic than functional.
► aes·thet·ic·al·ly ( NAmE also es- ) / -kli; NAmE / adverb :
aesthetically pleasing colour combinations
■ noun
1.
[ C ] the aesthetic qualities and ideas of sth :
The students debated the aesthetic of the poems.
2.
aesthetics [ U ] the branch of philosophy that studies the principles of beauty, especially in art
► aes·theti·cism ( NAmE also es- ) / iːsˈθetɪsɪzəm; es-; NAmE es-/ noun [ U ]
••
WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent. (in the sense relating to perception by the senses ): from Greek aisthētikos , from aisthēta perceptible things, from aisthesthai perceive. The sense concerned with beauty was first used in German in the mid 18th cent. and adopted into English in the early 19th cent., but its use was controversial until much later in the century.