humanities
CulturalExplanation
The humanities are studies about human culture, such as literature, philosophy, and history. Studying the humanities gives you general knowledge, but not a practical trade — you probably wouldn’t study humanities at beauty school. If you're studying to be a dentist or a blacksmith, you're learning to be something in particular. Studying the humanities is different. The humanities provide general knowledge about the best accomplishments of human beings throughout history. Learning the works of Shakespeare, Plato, and Beethoven is part of the humanities. The humanities make a person educated, but not necessarily for a specific profession. Most people require a more specific area of study beyond the humanities.
Vocabulary lists containing humanities
The Renaissance and Early Modern European History - Introductory
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 2–October 8, 2021
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Piecing Me Together
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The humanities and social-science cores will also exclude technology from the classroom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
He has since pivoted to another formidable academic concern: the waning prestige of the humanities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
On the humanities side, he said, the idea is broader.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Princeton and Johns Hopkins run digital humanities research centers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
As a result, the histories of dinosaurs, nebulas, and glaciers are generally acknowledged to belong to fields of science rather than to the humanities.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
