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

---

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

Most of that effort so far has been concentrated in sports, including National Football League games on Christmas, boxing and mixed martial arts, and World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Raw.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

One standalone building, Yadin said, is planned as a future arts, community and workforce training center.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

SpaceX has been credited with helping revitalize Hawthorne, drawing in new restaurants, hotels and an arts complex, as local newspaper the Daily Breeze reported in 2017.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

Growing up working-class in a mining village in Nottinghamshire, Graham recalls how important access to the arts were to him as a "shy" kid who found even the prospect of PE "nerve-wracking".

From BBC • May 18, 2026

For building disability awareness and as an educational tool for success in the performing arts.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin