liberal arts
1745–55; translation of Latin artēs līberālēs works befitting a free man
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| liberal arts | |
| —pl n | |
| Often shortened to: arts the fine arts, humanities, sociology, languages, and literature | |
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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liberal arts
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liberal arts definition
The areas of learning that cultivate general intellectual ability rather than technical or professional skills. The term liberal arts is often used as a synonym for humanities, although the liberal arts also include the sciences. The word liberal comes from the Latin liberalis, meaning suitable for a free man, as opposed to a slave.
liberal arts definition
The areas of learning that cultivate general intellectual ability rather than technical or professional skills. Liberal arts is often used as a synonym for humanities, because literature, languages, history, and philosophy are often considered the primary subjects of the liberal arts. The term liberal arts originally meant arts suitable for free people (libri in Latin) but not for slaves.
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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