ENGLISH
REFERENCE

aesthetic

n. countable
C1 Advanced Oxford US //ɛsˈθɛtɪk// UK //iːsθˈɛtɪk// aes·thet·ic Archaic

n. the style or look of something that makes it beautiful or pleasing. You use it to describe the specific visual theme of a person, a room, or a piece of art.

n. a set of principles underlying the work of a particular artist or artistic movement; the visual appearance or style of something. Often used to describe a cohesive set of stylistic choices.


SIMPLE

The new office has a very clean and modern aesthetic.

CONTEXTUAL

The director chose a dark, moody aesthetic to match the serious tone of the film's script.

COMPLEX

While the building's exterior maintains a traditional gothic aesthetic, the interior has been completely gutted and replaced with minimalist glass and steel structures.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ew- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewis-dʰh₁ Proto-Hellenic *awistʰomai Ancient Greek αἰσθᾰ́νομαι (aisthắnomai) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σῐς (-sĭs) Ancient Greek αἴσθησῐς (aísthēsĭs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek αἰσθητῐκός (aisthētĭkós)bor. Latin aesthēticusder. German Ästhetikder. ▲ New Latin aesthēticusbor. French esthétiqueder. English aesthetic From German Ästhetik or French esthétique, both from New Latin aesthēticus, itself borrowed from Ancient Greek αἰσθητικός (aisthētikós, “of sense perception”), from αἰσθάνομαι (aisthánomai, “I feel”); analysable as aesthe(sis) + -tic. Cognates include Proto-Germanic *awiz (“obvious”), Sanskrit आविस् (āvís, “manifestly, evidently”) and Latin audiō.

Usage

Often used with a possessive noun or adjective to define a specific style (e.g., 'the brand's aesthetic').

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