Origin: transl. of L artes liberales, lit., arts befitting a freeman: so named in contrast to artes serviles, lower (lit., servile) arts, and because open to study only by freemen (L liberi); in later use understood as “arts becoming a gentleman”
See liberal arts in American Heritage Dictionary 4
Origin:
Origin: Middle English
Origin: , translation of Medieval Latin artēs liberālēs, the trivium and quadrivium
Origin: : Latin artēs
Origin: , pl. of Latin ars, art-, subject of study
Origin: + līberālēs
Origin: , pl. of līberālis, proper to free persons
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