Esthetic
/ɛsˈθɛtɪk/noun
Relating to beauty or the appreciation of beauty.
Did you know?Esthetic comes from Greek *aisthētikos*, from *aisthanesthai* meaning “to perceive,” the same ancient root behind *anesthesia* — literally “without sensation.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eis-
“to perceive, sense”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aisthanesthai
“to perceive by the senses”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aisthētikos
“perceptive; relating to sense perception”
18th Century
German
ästhetisch
“aesthetic; relating to sensory perception and beauty”
18th Century
English
esthetic
“aesthetic; relating to beauty or taste”
Modern English
English
esthetic
“relating to beauty or the appreciation of beauty”
Explore more surprising origins