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
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.
Institutions with this combination of professional education and the arts are becoming increasingly uncommon. — Scott White, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 The Tsais also established the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation in 2014, with work spanning the arts, science, and social justice. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026 So, too, have many of those very same agencies and their budgets that provided funding to the arts. — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 French law allows businesses to cut 60 percent of taxes from certain forms of financial support for the arts, if considered beneficial to the public. — Devorah Lauter For Artnews, Robb Report, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for the arts

Rhymes for the arts

See All Rhymes for the arts

Browse Nearby Words

the Arctic Circle
the arts
the Ascension
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“The arts.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20arts. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All