n. The science which deduces from nature and taste the rules and principles of art; the theory of the fine arts; the science of the beautiful, or that branch of philosophy which deals with its principles; the doctrines of taste.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. (art) the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and taste (emphasizing the evaluative criteria that are applied to art)
Word Usage
"Like me, he seems to think the 1920s represented a high water mark in esthetics."