Synonyms of illiberal

illiberal

adjective

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-b(ə-)rəl 

1

as in parochial

not broad or open in views or opinions

an illiberal society that viewed any artistic depiction of the nude as inherently indecent

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parochial
• small
• petty
• narrow
• sectarian
• insular
• provincial
• little
• narrow-minded
• stubborn
• small-minded
• bigoted
• Lilliputian
• rigid
• wrongheaded
• discriminatory
• picayune
• intolerant
• partisan
• reactionary
• obstinate
• obdurate
• dogmatic
• biased
• inflexible
• ironbound
• prejudiced
• stodgy
• limited
• hidebound
• opinionated
• old-fashioned
• unyielding
• discriminating
• partial
• opinionative
• unsophisticated
• jaundiced
• one-sided
• straitlaced
• stuffy
• set
• hick
• brassbound

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberal
• cosmopolitan
• tolerant
• open
• receptive
• catholic
• impartial
• objective
• broad-minded
• unprejudiced
• unbiased
• nonpartisan
• open-minded
• freethinking

2

as in narrow

unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints

some of the more illiberal residents were opposed to having a hospice for AIDS patients in the neighborhood

Synonyms & Similar Words

• narrow
• parochial
• bigoted
• provincial
• intolerant
• prejudiced
• narrow-minded
• reactionary
• small-minded
• partisan
• partial
• insular
• hidebound
• old-fashioned
• blindfolded
• biased
• blinkered
• one-sided

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberal
• extreme
• tolerant
• radical
• progressive
• unprejudiced
• broad-minded
• open-minded
• impartial
• objective
• unbiased

3

as in vulgar

archaic lacking in refinement or good taste

people who had been scorned as illiberal because they were poor

Synonyms & Similar Words

• vulgar
• crass
• rude
• common
• coarse
• crude
• uncouth
• clumsy
• gross
• rough
• uncultured
• raffish
• uncultivated
• rugged
• tasteless
• lowbrow
• unpolished
• unrefined
• ill-bred
• insensible
• low
• rough-hewn
• ungentlemanly
• boorish
• loutish
• thoughtless
• churlish
• clownish
• roughneck
• lowbred
• oafish
• rustic
• incult
• barbarous
• inconsiderate
• unsophisticated
• cloddish
• insensitive
• indelicate
• uncivilized
• provincial
• lubberly
• barbaric
• lumpish
• inelegant
• graceless
• unmannerly
• countrified
• tacky
• unmannered
• mannerless
• animallike

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• civilized
• smooth
• aristocratic
• genteel
• cultured
• polished
• tasteful
• cultivated
• refined
• patrician
• elegant
• courtly
• well-bred
• graceful
• restrained
• sensitive
• thoughtful
• ultrarefined
• gracious
• sophisticated
• considerate
• urbane
• citified

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of illiberal

This election could reshape not just Hungary but signal a broader European rejection of the illiberal, nationalist movements Orbán inspired among the global far-right. — Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Scholars of comparative authoritarianism have long identified the selective application of harsh criminal penalties as a hallmark of illiberal governance. — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026

As Orbán over the past decade took a forceful stance against migrants and refugees and proclaimed himself Europe's champion of illiberal Christian democracy, Budapest became a magnet for American conservatives. — Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026

The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026