Artes, scientia, veritas
“Arts, knowledge, truth.”
Motto of the University of Michigan
What does “Artes, scientia, veritas” mean?
Artes, scientia, veritas translates as “Arts, knowledge, truth.”
It names the three pillars of a university education: the arts, knowledge and the pursuit of truth.
“Artes, scientia, veritas” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Artes | arts, skills | nominative plural of ars, “art, skill, craft”; here the liberal arts and the skills of a learned mind |
| scientia | knowledge | nominative singular of scientia, “knowledge, understanding” (from scio, “I know”) |
| veritas | truth | nominative singular of veritas, “truth” |
How to pronounce “Artes, scientia, veritas”
The two systems differ mainly in scientia: Classical has a hard c (skee-EN-tee-ah), Church Latin softens it (shee-EN-tsee-ah). Stress falls on the first syllable of artes and veritas and on the third from the end of scientia. Classical v sounds like English w, Church v like English v.
The story behind it
Word for word the motto is just three nouns in a row, “arts, knowledge, truth”. There is no verb, which makes it read like a short list of what a university stands for.
It is the motto of the University of Michigan, which was founded in 1817. It is a modern motto written in Latin, not a line from an ancient author, and it follows the old custom of giving schools a Latin motto.
Because the three words are simple and balanced, they appear on university seals, diplomas and alumni gifts, and they work well as a statement of what a liberal education is for.
How to use “Artes, scientia, veritas”
A fitting inscription for a Michigan alumni gift, a graduation card, a liberal-arts classroom or a library plaque. It also works as a personal motto for anyone devoted to study and learning.
- Latin
- Artes, scientia, veritas
- English
- Arts, knowledge, truth.
- Source
- Motto of the University of Michigan
- Era
- Modern Latin
- Theme
- Learning
Common mistakes
- It is not a sentence. There is no verb, so do not translate it as “arts are knowledge” or “arts lead to truth”.
- Artes is plural (“arts”); the singular is ars. Changing it to “ars, scientia, veritas” changes the meaning.
- It is a modern university motto, not an ancient Roman saying, so do not credit it to Cicero or any classical author.
Questions about “Artes, scientia, veritas”
What does “Artes, scientia, veritas” mean?
“Arts, knowledge, truth.” It is a three-word list naming the aims of a university education.
Whose motto is “Artes, scientia, veritas”?
It is the motto of the University of Michigan, founded in 1817.
How do you pronounce “Artes, scientia, veritas”?
Classical: AR-tace skee-EN-tee-ah WEH-ree-tahs. Church: AR-tehs shee-EN-tsee-ah VEH-ree-tahs.
Is “Artes, scientia, veritas” ancient Latin?
No. The words are classical Latin, but the phrase is a modern motto composed for a university.
More to explore
Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
Related Latin quotes
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.