liberal arts

liberal arts
noun
studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills) (Freq. 1)
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the college of arts and sciences

• Hypernyms:
• Hyponyms:

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noun [plural]
: areas of study (such as history, language, and literature) that are intended to give you general knowledge rather than to develop specific skills needed for a profession

the sciences and the liberal arts

She graduated from a liberal arts college in the Midwest.

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ˌliberal ˈarts noun plural (especially NAmE)
subjects of study that develop students' general knowledge and ability to think, rather than their technical skills

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a liberal arts college

 
Word Origin:
[liberal arts] liberal, as distinct from servile or mechanical (i.e. involving manual labour) and originally referring to arts and sciences considered “worthy of a free man”; later the word related to general intellectual development rather than vocational training.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • liberal arts — pl.n. [transl. of L artes liberales, lit., arts befitting a freeman: so named in contrast to artes serviles, lower (lit., servile) arts, and because open to study only by freemen (L liberi); in later use understood as “arts becoming a gentleman”] …   English World dictionary

  • liberal arts — late 14c., translating L. artes liberales; the seven attainments directed to intellectual enlargement, not immediate practical purpose, and thus deemed worthy of a free man (LIBERAL (Cf. liberal) in this sense is opposed to servile or mechanical) …   Etymology dictionary

  • liberal arts — n [plural] especially AmE the areas of learning which develop someone s ability to think and increase their general knowledge, rather than developing technical skills …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • liberal arts — noun plural school or college subjects that give students a general education and teach them to think, rather than those subjects that develop practical skills …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Liberal arts — The term liberal arts refers to a particular type of educational curriculum broadly defined as a classical education.HistoryDefinitionanchors|Seven liberal arts|The seven liberal artsThe term liberal arts is a college or curriculum aimed at… …   Wikipedia

  • liberal arts — (seven liberal arts)    The seven liberal arts were the basis of a general secular education throughout medieval western Europe. Based on a system dating back to classical times, the liberal arts were made up of the trivium essentially what… …   Encyclopedia of medieval literature

  • Liberal Arts — Septem artes liberales aus Hortus Deliciarum der Herrad von Landsberg (um 1180) Die Sieben freien Künste (lat. septem artes liberales, seltener auch studia liberalia) sind ein in der Antike entstandener Kanon von sieben Studienfächern, d …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • liberal arts — 1. the academic course of instruction at a college intended to provide general knowledge and comprising the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, as opposed to professional or technical subjects. 2. (during the Middle Ages)… …   Universalium

  • liberal arts — N PLURAL At a university or college, liberal arts courses are on subjects such as history or literature rather than science, law, medicine, or business. [AM] There has been a decline in enrollment in liberal arts courses in favor of highly… …   English dictionary

  • liberal arts — noun Liberal arts is used before these nouns: ↑college …   Collocations dictionary

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