liberal

1 of 2

adjective

lib·​er·​al ˈli-b(ə-)rəl How to pronounce liberal (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts
liberal education
b
archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth
2
a
: marked by generosity : openhanded
a liberal giver
b
: given or provided in a generous and openhanded way
a liberal meal
c
: ample, full
3
obsolete : lacking moral restraint : licentious
4
: not literal or strict : loose
a liberal translation
5
: broad-minded
especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms
6
a
: of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism
b
capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism
especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
liberally adverb
liberalness noun

liberal

2 of 2

noun

lib·​er·​al ˈli-b(ə-)rəl How to pronounce liberal (audio)
: a person who is liberal: such as
a
: one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways
b
capitalized : a member or supporter of a liberal political party (see liberal entry 1 sense 6)
c
: an advocate or adherent of liberalism especially in individual rights
Choose the Right Synonym for liberal

liberal, generous, bountiful, munificent mean giving or given freely and unstintingly.

liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

Examples of liberal in a Sentence

Adjective On most issues he was thought of as a generally liberal figure, but on gun control he was live-free-or-die National Rifle Association man. Jonathan Raban, Harper's, Aug. 1993
Many fishermen keep their holes from freezing over with liberal injections of antifreeze. Time, 28 Feb. 1974
Alexandra looked at him mournfully. "I try to be more liberal about such things than I used to be. I try to realize that we are not all made alike … " Willa Cather, O Pioneers!, 1913
This cost him considerable, for Dick was rather fastidious about his cigars, and wouldn't smoke the cheapest. Besides, having a liberal nature, he was generally ready to treat his companions. Horatio Alger, Ragged Dick, 1868
She is a liberal Democrat who married a conservative Republican. He made a very liberal donation to the museum. Noun a policy that is supported both by liberals and conservatives in Congress
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
One Russian who won't be giving Putin, or anyone else for that matter, his mandate is Boris Vishnevsky, a veteran liberal politician in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg. Kim Hjelmgaard and Anna Nemtsova, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 But there were other major cases in which conservative and liberal justices joined to reject aggressive legal arguments from the right, including on Native American rights, immigration, and elections. Mark Sherman and Lindsay Whitehurst, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for liberal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liberal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English lēodan to grow, Greek eleutheros free

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of liberal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near liberal

Cite this Entry

“Liberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

liberal

1 of 2 adjective
lib·​er·​al ˈlib(-ə)-rəl How to pronounce liberal (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts
a liberal education
2
a
: not stingy : generous
a liberal giver
b
: more than enough
a liberal allowance
3
: not strict
especially : not bound by traditional forms or beliefs
4
: of or relating to liberalism : not conservative
liberally adverb

liberal

2 of 2 noun
: a person who is liberal especially in politics

More from Merriam-Webster on liberal

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