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

And while the notion of privatizing a public liberal arts college may seem radical, it can also be understood as an escalation of a larger pattern. —Alice Herman, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025

Students attending the school will earn up to 64 college credits for an associate's degree in liberal arts from DSU and are guaranteed admission there, according to the New York mayor's office. —Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2025

There’s evidence, too, that ultra-high-net-worth families are increasing investment in liberal arts education. —Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Such was the case for me, at least, at Washington & Lee University (W&L), a small liberal arts school nestled in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. —Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 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