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aes·thet·ic adjectivealso es·thet·ic \\es-ˈthe-tik, is-, Brit usu ēs- \\; or aes·thet·i·cal or es·thet·i·cal \\-ti-kəl\\ ETYMOLOGY German ästhetisch, from New Latin aestheticus, from Greek aisthētikos of sense perception, from aisthanesthai to perceive — more at audible
DATE 1798
1. a. of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful aesthetic theories b. artistic a work of aesthetic value c. pleasing in appearance : attractive easy-to-use keyboards, clear graphics, and other ergonomic and aesthetic features — Mark Mehler2. appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful; also : responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses• aes·thet·i·cal·ly also es·thet·i·cal·ly \\-ti-k(ə-)lē\\ adverbnounalso esthetic DATE 1822
1. plural but singular or plural in construction : a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste and with the creation and appreciation of beauty 2. a particular theory or conception of beauty or art : a particular taste for or approach to what is pleasing to the senses and especially sight modernist aesthetics staging new ballets which reflected the aesthetic of the new nation — Mary Clarke & Clement Crisp3. plural : a pleasing appearance or effect : beauty appreciated the aesthetics of the gemstones
aesthetic
1798, from Ger. ästhetisch or Fr. esthétique, both from Gk. aisthetikos "sensitive," from aisthanesthai "to perceive, to feel," from PIE *awis-dh-yo-, from base *au- "to perceive." Popularized in Eng. by translation of Immanuel Kant, and used originally in the classically correct sense "the science which treats of the conditions of sensuous perception." Kant had tried to correct the term after Baumgarten had taken it in Ger. to mean "criticism of taste" (1750s), but Baumgarten's sense attained popularity in English c.1830s (despite scholarly resistance) and removed the word from any philosophical base. Walter Pater used it (1868) to describe the late 19c. movement that advocated "art for art's sake," which further blurred the sense.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 aestheticaes·thet·ic ( NAmE also es·thet·ic) / i:s5Wetik; es-; NAmE es- / adjective1. concerned with beauty and art and the understanding of beautiful things 审美的；有审美观点的；美学的: an aesthetic appreciation of the landscape 用审美的眼光欣赏风景 The benefits of conservation are both financial and aesthetic. 保护自然环境在经济上和美化环境上都有好处。 2. made in an artistic way and beautiful to look at 美的；艺术的: Their furniture was more aesthetic than functional. 他们的家具美观多于实用。 • aes·thet·ic·al·ly ( NAmE also es-) / -kli / adv.: aesthetically pleasing colour combinations 赏心悦目的色彩搭配 noun1. [C] the aesthetic qualities and ideas of sth 美感；审美观: The students debated the aesthetic of the poems. 学生就这些诗的美展开了辩论。 2. aesthetics [U] the branch of philosophy that studies the principles of beauty, especially in art 美学• aes·theti·cism ( NAmE also es-) / i:s5WetisizEm; es-; NAmE es- / noun [U]
Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: transcendental aesthetic , or aesthetic distance , or aesthetic truth
aes·thet·icadjectiveor es·thet·ic \esˈthed.ik, is-, əs-, -etik, -ēk, sometimes ˈesˌth-, Brit usually ēsˈ-\; or aes·thet·i·cal or es·thet·i·cal \-ə̇kəl, -ēk-\ Etymology: German ästhetisch, from New Latin aestheticus, from Greek aisthētikos of sense perception — more at aesthetics 1. : relating to or dealing with aesthetics or its subject matter < aesthetic theories > < aesthetic philosophers >2. a. : relating to the beautiful as distinguished from the merely pleasing, the moral, and especially the useful and utilitarian < a purely aesthetic reaction > < aesthetic criteria > b. : artistic < the illustrations made the book an aesthetic success > : beautiful 3. : appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful < an aesthetic person > < he lived in an aesthetic age >: having a sense, real or affected, of beauty or fine culture 4. : relating to sensuous cognition: a. : involving pure feeling or sensation especially in contrast to ratiocination < the aesthetic component of knowledge > b. : based on or derived from immediate especially sensuous experience < gustatory and tactile aesthetic delights > < aesthetic feeling >Synonyms: see artistic
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