aesthetic

Where does the word "aesthetic" come from? It comes from Greek aisthētikos, passing through German before entering English (1790s).

Aesthetic’s story begins in Greek: aisthētikos meant “perceptive.” Relating to perception by the senses. By 1750s, the word had taken hold in German as Ästhetik. The philosopher Alexander Baumgarten used it for a science of taste and beauty. It reached English by 1790s as aesthetic. First a theory of sense perception; the 1880s 'Aesthetic Movement' of Oscar Wilde's circle made it fashionable. Today, aesthetic means concerned with beauty or the appreciation of beauty.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient aisthētikos "perceptive", relating to perception by the senses.
2. Stage 2 · German · 1750s Ästhetik "theory of beauty", the philosopher Alexander Baumgarten used it for a science of taste and beauty.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1790s aesthetic "relating to beauty", first a theory of sense perception; the 1880s 'Aesthetic Movement' of Oscar Wilde's circle made it fashionable.