the arts
plural noun
: painting, sculpture, music, theater, literature, etc., considered as a group of activities done by people with skill and imagination
She's a patron of the arts.
He wants the government to increase its funding for the arts.
Examples of the arts in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Kennedy Center offers educational programs and hosts the annual Kennedy Center Honors to celebrate significant contributions to the arts in America.
—
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
Left-handers, therefore, must be more imaginative—a quality increasingly valued not just in the arts but also by the burgeoning tech sector.
—Megan Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2025
Of such places, the Sangam, or confluence, at the city of Prayagraj is the most revered because this is where the rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet with the fabled Saraswati, also known as the goddess of learning and the arts – the unseen, mythical river that flows underneath.
—Sudipta Sen, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
From the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to Expo Chicago (now owned by entertainment giant Frieze), Chicago has sought to capitalize on the arts for investment and tourism.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the arts 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025
Left-handers, therefore, must be more imaginative—a quality increasingly valued not just in the arts but also by the burgeoning tech sector.
—Megan Marshall, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2025
Of such places, the Sangam, or confluence, at the city of Prayagraj is the most revered because this is where the rivers Ganga and Yamuna meet with the fabled Saraswati, also known as the goddess of learning and the arts – the unseen, mythical river that flows underneath.
—Sudipta Sen, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025
From the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to Expo Chicago (now owned by entertainment giant Frieze), Chicago has sought to capitalize on the arts for investment and tourism.
—Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for the arts
Dictionary Entries Near the arts
Cite this Entry
“The arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20arts. Accessed 19 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share