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
Bryan Penprase, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2025
With that backdrop, Jamal Jr. graduated from New Mexico with a degree in liberal arts and started looking for a graduate student landing spot, eventually choosing Temple.
—Jon Marks, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2025
Colorado College, a liberal arts school with around 2,200 undergraduate students, is about a mile away, as is Monument Valley Park and its walking and biking trails along the banks of Monument Creek.
—Angela Serratore, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
Corcoran’s hiring followed DeSantis’ overhaul of the Board of Trustees for the university, once seen as a non-traditional and progressive public liberal arts school.
—Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Liberal arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberal%20arts. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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