aesthetic

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Every other condition in which we can live refers us to a previous condition, and requires for its solution a following condition; only the aesthetic is a complete whole in itself, for it unites in itself all conditions of its source and of its duration.

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Definitions (11)

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  1. adjective Relating to the philosophy or theories of aesthetics.
  2. adjective Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste: the aesthetic faculties.
  3. adjective Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty.

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Examples (50)

  • The word aesthetic, which means "being responsive to or appreciative of what is beautiful or pleasurable to the senses," is derived from the Sanskrit word avis, which means "before the eyes, openly, manifestly, evidently."
  • In fall fashion, the aesthetic is artfully achieved with layers of clothing. —  Dallas Observer | Complete Issue
  • If art is defined as the aesthetic production of human imagination meant to encourage an emotional and intellectual response from those who look at / read / listen to it, more or less the loosest definition I can come up with for the word, then where do games fall in this equation? —  The Chronicle
  • It's as if the best defense one can muster is to suggest that the aesthetic was assembled with no prior planning, and that's no defense at all. —  Cokemachineglow.com
  • The rest of the bass echos the trad-aesthetic: passive single-coil pickups, dual volume / master tone control layout (though there's also an Aguilar OPB1 active EQ) and Pao Ferro fretboard. —  Gearwire -
 

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aesthetic:   aesthetics
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (1)

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  1. German ästhetisch, from New Latin aesthēticus, from Greek aisthētikos, of sense perception, from aisthēta, perceptible things, from aisthanesthai, to perceive; see au- in Indo-European roots.
 

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