Meanings
nounservile arts pl (plural only)
- pluralplural onlyTraining or education that focuses on utilitarian skills, aimed towards employability rather than the development of a free individual.
Synonyms: artes mechanicae, artes serviles, mechanical arts · Antonyms: liberal arts
Synonyms & antonyms
nounTraining or education that focuses on utilitarian skills, aimed towards employability rather than the development of a free individual.
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Origin
- Latinartēs servīlēs
- Englishservile arts
Calque of Latin artēs servīlēs.
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Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
servile arts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/servile%20arts
MLA
“servile arts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/servile%20arts. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “servile arts,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/servile%20arts.
Source: servile arts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.