Showing results for "arts"

• plural of art.

arts

British  

/ ɑːts /

plural noun

1. 1. imaginative, creative, and nonscientific branches of knowledge considered collectively, esp as studied academically

   2. ( as modifier )

      an arts degree

2. See fine art

3. cunning or crafty actions or plots; schemes

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Explanation

The arts are subjects that you study in school which have some artistic or social aspect, rather than being purely practical or job-related. If you major in English and minor in music, you're studying the arts. University subjects and separate colleges — and often even the degrees they award — are sometimes divided into arts and sciences. The arts include things like dance and photography, but also subjects such as Latin or religion. Sciences include, obviously, science, but also more professional and occupational studies. The root of arts is the Latin ars, "art."

Example Sentences

On a recent summer day at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, students ambled through yawns, braces and acne into their creative writing class.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

The National Endowment for the Arts had a couple of stilt dancers from New Orleans.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2026

The latter reference was about her training at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, which she juggled with her film and music careers.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

"It's really important that it has institutional continuity," said Benjamin Anderson, associate professor of history of art and visual studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.

From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 2026

Hunt, McKim, and Peabody had all studied at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris; Van Brunt and Post had studied under Hunt; Van Brunt had been Peabody’s mentor.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson