liberal arts

plural noun

1

: college or university studies (such as language, philosophy, literature, and 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

2

: the medieval studies comprising the trivium and quadrivium

Did you know?

Why do we call the liberal arts "liberal"?

The liberal in liberal arts is not political. 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 members of the upper classes as well as to those with the full rights of a citizen; this education involved training in such subjects as grammar, logic, geometry, etc., as opposed to the education reserved for the lower classes, which involved mechanical or occupational skills. 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

Founded in 1971, the university is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs across disciplines such as business, nursing, education and liberal arts. —Dan Gooding gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025

In 1840, the church opened the first of an eventual fifteen liberal arts colleges, all free-thinking, abolitionist, and dedicated to educating men and women on an equal basis. —Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025

The return is lowest for those majoring in fine arts, liberal arts, leisure, and hospitality and education, which ranked last. —Alain Sherter, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2025

Cornwell has been president of the small liberal arts college since 2015, coming to Winter Park after an eight-year stint as president of College of Wooster in Ohio. —Steven Walker, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for liberal arts

• cartes
• carts
• charts
• darts
• farts
• harts
• hearts
• marts
• partes
• parts
• smarts
• starts

Kids Definition

liberal arts

plural noun

: the studies (as literature, philosophy, languages, or history) in a college or university intended to develop the mind in a general way rather than give professional or vocational skills