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

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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

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The building at 1544 Central Parkway, which was erected in 1915, was the old satellite campus for the now-defunct Catholic liberal arts school, Chatfield College. Sydney Franklin, The Enquirer, 13 July 2025 Billion-dollar donation span a landscape from small liberal arts McPherson College to Stanford and Johns Hopkins. Peter Balakian july 9, Literary Hub, 9 July 2025 The University of the South is a liberal arts college and Episcopal seminary located on a 13,000-acre campus atop the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 July 2025 White, too, noted efforts going on in the diocese meant to boost enrollment — for example, adding liberal arts or performing arts tracks at diocesan schools, and raising money for tuition assistance to help children in underserved communities attend Catholic schools. Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberal arts

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of liberal arts was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Liberal arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberal%20arts. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

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

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