liberal arts

plural noun

Definition of liberal arts

1 : the medieval studies comprising the trivium and quadrivium

2 : college or university studies (such as language, philosophy, literature, abstract science) intended to provide chiefly general knowledge and to develop general intellectual capacities (such as reason and judgment) as opposed to professional or vocational skills

Why do we call the liberal arts "liberal"? Example Sentences Learn More about liberal arts

Keep scrolling for more

Why do we call the liberal arts "liberal"?

The liberal in liberal arts, a cornerstone of the education of so many, has very little to do with political leanings; its roots can be traced to the Latin word liber, meaning “free, unrestricted.” Our language took the term from the Latin liberales artes, which described the education given to freeman and members of the upper classes, and involved training in the mind (grammar, logic, geometry, etc.). The lower classes were educated in the servile arts, which were mechanical or occupational in nature. The phrase liberal arts has been part of our language for a very long time, with use dating back to the 14th century.

Examples of liberal arts in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

No surface goes unadorned in this Italianate monument to the liberal arts. — Sadie Dingfelder, Washington Post, "Here’s how to tour D.C. like a boss," 29 Aug. 2019 Programs from UHV Katy include business, education and liberal arts. — Kristi Nix, Houston Chronicle, "University of Houston expands facilities, program offerings at Sugar Land and Katy campuses," 23 Aug. 2019 In their model, Reed ranks 38th for liberal arts colleges nationally, but U.S. News’ model put the college at 90th. — Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, "US News & World Report ranks America's 'best' colleges. But, is there really a way to know?," 7 Aug. 2019 And while some with an interest in data may think the area requires special skills, many people from liberal arts backgrounds have the ability to look at data in critical ways. — William Thornton | [email protected], al, "Using data to find the right move can make you a master, Sloss Tech panel says," 2 Aug. 2019 Now, do the same calculation with any three of my tenured colleagues in the liberal arts. — Robert Zaretsky, Twin Cities, "Robert Zaretsky: We need a mandatory retirement age for us professors," 18 July 2019 The university says the new program is a joint effort between the colleges of engineering and liberal arts. — USA TODAY, "Crystal Cathedral reborn Catholic, 'Conjuring' house, Wiki ‘editathon’: News from around our 50 states," 11 July 2019 Founded in 1833, Oberlin became one of the nation’s first colleges to admit African Americans, and its first coeducational liberal arts college. — George Will, Twin Cities, "George Will: Oberlin has graduated from self-caricature to disgrace," 20 June 2019 Undergraduate programs range include liberal arts, nursing, jazz studies and art history. — Graydon Megan, chicagotribune.com, "Elmhurst College to be renamed Elmhurst University next year," 19 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'liberal arts.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for liberal arts

liberal arts

noun

English Language Learners Definition of liberal arts

: areas of study (such as history, language, and literature) that are intended to give you general knowledge rather than to develop specific skills needed for a profession

liberal arts

Definition of liberal arts

Why do we call the liberal arts "liberal"?

Examples of liberal arts in a Sentence

First Known Use of liberal arts

English Language Learners Definition of liberal arts

WORD OF THE DAY