Nonesthetic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterizing experiences or sensations that are not associated with aesthetic appreciation or beauty
2. Pertaining to aspects that lack visual or sensory appeal in relation to art or beauty
3. Describing elements that do not evoke an aesthetic response or aesthetic value

Etymology: "Nonesthetic" is simply the prefix "non-" attached to "esthetic," the American spelling of "aesthetic." The prefix "non-" comes from Latin "non," meaning "not," and it has been freely attached to English words for centuries to form negations, so the combination needs no special history of its own. "Esthetic" itself traces back through Latin "aestheticus" to the Greek "aisthētikos," meaning "perceptive by the senses," from "aisthanesthai," "to perceive." The result is a plain negation: something that lacks the qualities of beauty or artistic appeal. Its meaning follows directly from its parts, so the word's main interest lies in the Greek root, where the original sense concerned sensory perception rather than beauty.

Synonyms: anesthetic, non-aesthetic, unesthetic

Antonyms: esthetic, aesthetic, beautiful, artistic, pleasing