liberal arts
plural noun
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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
Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
The University of Chicago is similarly rigorous, with a Core that makes up about one-third of a student’s coursework, emphasizing a classical liberal arts foundation across disciplines.
—Liz Doe Stone, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
That site was originally the home of World College West, a liberal arts college that opened in 1973 and closed in the fall of 1992 because of inadequate funding.
—Richard Halstead, Mercury News, 31 July 2025
Deborah Sengupta Stith moved to Austin as a wayward liberal arts graduate in the ‘90s and promptly fell into the city’s music scene.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for liberal arts
Cite this Entry
“Liberal arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberal%20arts. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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