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.
Under the new arrangements, arts GCSEs will be given equal status, external to humanities and languages.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
"It takes critical thinking to develop and use AI tools in ways that make real advances in science, technology and the humanities," Burton says.
From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026
Another argument has taken hold in Silicon Valley: interpersonal skills will become more valuable than ever, with some voices going so far as to tout a humanities education as sound tech career preparation.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
I soon came to understand that in Ivy League humanities classrooms, critical theories aren’t fringe ideas.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
The discipline of history is generally not considered to be a science, but something closer 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.
