Aesthete
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Someone who cultivates an unusually high sensitivity to beauty, as in art or nature, often in a manner perceived to prioritize beauty over other qualities such as virtue and utility. derogatory, often
"I prefer to think of [literature] as providing a discipline of the sensibility—a special way of apprehending reality. But though I prefer such a conception, it gives rise to all sorts of misunderstandings […] To define literature in this fashion is to risk being called a mere aesthete and even an ecapist who refuses to face the harsh facts of life."
- 2 one who professes great sensitivity to the beauty of art and nature wordnet
Example
More examples"I prefer to think of [literature] as providing a discipline of the sensibility—a special way of apprehending reality. But though I prefer such a conception, it gives rise to all sorts of misunderstandings […] To define literature in this fashion is to risk being called a mere aesthete and even an ecapist who refuses to face the harsh facts of life."
Etymology
From Ancient Greek αἰσθητής (aisthētḗs, “one who perceives”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.