Definition of "aesthetics" []

• The branch of philosophy that deals with the nature and expression of beauty, as in the fine arts. (noun)
• In Kantian philosophy, the branch of metaphysics concerned with the laws of perception. (noun)
• The study of the psychological responses to beauty and artistic experiences. (noun)
• A conception of what is artistically valid or beautiful: minimalist aesthetics. (noun)
• An artistically beautiful or pleasing appearance: "They're looking for quality construction, not aesthetics” ( Ron Schram). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The term aesthetics was coined in the eighteenth century by the German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten from the Greek word aisthetikos meaning “perceptive, especially by feeling”."
• "Adult self-reported interest in aesthetics is related to a temperamental factor of openness , as reported by the Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium (with many more details and - as is the case in any serious scientific study - caveats concerning observed correlations etc.)."
• "Each work is a journey, an adventure through the carefully placed items, colors, and layers; along the way, note the many Asian references, in aesthetics and objects."