language arts
Americannoun
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(used with a plural verb) the skills, including reading, composition, speech, spelling, and grammar, taught in elementary and secondary schools to give students a thorough proficiency in using the language.
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(used with a singular verb) a core course of instruction in an elementary or secondary school where students develop these skills.
Etymology
Origin of language arts
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
A clear marker of this mixed picture is English language arts: The percent of students scoring proficient or advanced increased by 0.5 of a percentage point to 49.3%.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
Never mind that only 48% of New York’s students in grades 3 through 8 are proficient in English language arts, and 57% in math.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
Last year, 28.1% of 11th graders tested as proficient in English language arts and 9.5% tested as proficient in math.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Currently, high school students need 24 credits to graduate, and many of those credits are in core subjects such as language arts, social studies, math and science.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2024
I’m pretty good in math and language arts.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
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