Beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that
provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction.[citation
needed] Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology,
and culture. An "ideal beauty" is an entity which is admired, or possesses
features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture, for
perfection.[citation needed]
The experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as
being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of
attraction and emotional well-being.[citation needed] Because this is a
subjective experience, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the
beholder."[1] In its most profound sense, beauty may engender a salient
experience of positive reflection about the meaning of one's own
existence.[citation needed] A subject of beauty is anything that resonates with
personal meaning.[citation needed]
The classical Greek adjective for "beautiful" was καλλός, kallos. The Koine
Greek word for beautiful was ὡραῖος, hōraios,[2] an adjective etymologically
coming from the word ὥρα, hōra, meaning "hour." In Koine Greek, beauty was thus
associated with "being of one's hour."[3]
A ripe fruit (of its time) was considered beautiful, whereas a young woman
trying to appear older or an older woman trying to appear younger would not be
considered beautiful. In Attic Greek, hōraios had many meanings, including
"youthful" and "ripe old age."[3]
.