libertarian
noun
lib·er·tar·i·an
ˌli-bər-ˈter-ē-ən 
-ˈte-rē-
plural libertarians
1
: an adherent or advocate of libertarianism
Libertarians take individual freedom as the paramount political value and understand coercion to be the antithesis of that freedom. While people can justifiably be forced to do certain things—most obviously, to refrain from infringing the liberty of others—they cannot be coerced to serve the good of other members of society, nor even their own personal good.—
Bas van der Vossen and Billy Christmas
Bas van der Vossen and Billy Christmas… the one big thing the libertarians knew and could explain better than anyone else—that the invisible hand of the market is a more reliable organizer of the economic life of nations than the visible hand of the state …—Richard Cornuelle
Richard Cornuelle2
Libertarian plural Libertarians
: a member or supporter of a political party supporting or promoting libertarianism
a registered Libertarian
libertarian
adjective
or less commonly Libertarian
… the libertarian ideology and rhetoric associated with "school choice," opposition to gun control, and the right of business to be free from government regulation.
—Alan Wolfe
Alan Wolfe
the Libertarian party
Examples of libertarian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bryan previously described himself as a libertarian and declared that his music wasn't political.
—Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Democrats and civil libertarians denounced the FCC chairman Brendan Carr for violating the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech.
—Donald Nieman, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Democrats and civil libertarians said Trump corrupted the system of justice by getting involved.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Milei, who took office in 2023, is a hardline libertarian known for wielding a chainsaw during campaign events — a not-so-subtle symbol of his pledge to cut through regulations and slash government spending.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for libertarian
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Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Democrats and civil libertarians denounced the FCC chairman Brendan Carr for violating the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech.
—Donald Nieman, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Democrats and civil libertarians said Trump corrupted the system of justice by getting involved.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Milei, who took office in 2023, is a hardline libertarian known for wielding a chainsaw during campaign events — a not-so-subtle symbol of his pledge to cut through regulations and slash government spending.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for libertarian
Cite this Entry
“Libertarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libertarian. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
libertarian
noun
lib·er·tar·i·an
ˌlib-ər-ˈter-ē-ən
: a person who believes in liberty of thought and action
libertarian
adjective
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