classical liberalism

noun

see usage paragraph below

: a political philosophy based on the belief that freedom of the individual is paramount and that government's role should be largely limited to protecting that freedom

A veneration for private property as the site where the rights of dominance and control are realized has long been central to the individualist orientation of classical liberalism …

—Virginia Anderson

At the editorial page, this has meant that for a century we have been able to adhere to a worldview we now distill to the phrase "free people and free markets." This began, more or less, with the classical liberalism of William Hamilton, who as a Scotsman before emigrating had dabbled in British Liberal Party politics.

—The Wall Street Journal

classical liberal adjective

or less commonly classical-liberal

Tolerance rightly understood serves an important public purpose. In the classical liberal understanding, it means according respect to the beliefs and practices of others, and learning to live peacefully and civilly with one another despite deep differences.

—William J. Bennett

… a more consistently classical-liberal party—pro-business, pro-choice …

—Michael Lind

classical liberal noun

plural classical liberals

… believed in eliminating economic privileges while protecting private property rights, ending state monopolies and regulations, and freeing trade. They were classical liberals not to be confused with the modern definition of the word liberal, with its connotations of economic regulation.

—Richard White

Classical liberals wanted both individual liberty and (some degree of) government intervention. This ambiguity persists in our own time. … Today's libertarians can be seen as classical liberals who want less government intervention and more individual liberty. The argument for a total break between classical liberals and libertarians does not quite work.

—Pierre Lemieux

see also:

liberalism

Usage of Classical Liberalism and Libertarianism

Both classical liberalism and libertarianism refer to a political philosophy asserting that governmental power should be limited to that required for protecting the freedom of the individual. Classical liberalism is a philosophy espoused in modern times, but it is also recognized as an early form of liberalism dating to the 17th century. However, where modern liberalism typically calls for the government to both protect and advance the freedom of the individual (as by correcting social inequities), classical liberalism contends that extending governmental power beyond the protection of individual freedom carries the risk that those who govern will abuse their power. Libertarianism is sometimes considered to be a modern term for what is essentially classical liberalism, but it is also sometimes held to be its own philosophy calling for a more limited role for government.

Classical liberalism regards justice and liberty as requiring a much more limited role for government than do modern forms of liberalism. Indeed, apart from the provision of a limited range of goods that benefit all but that, most argue, society seems unable to secure save by governmental provision (so-called public goods, such as roads and harbors and, more controversially, relief of destitution), the only role for government that classical liberalism considers consistent with human liberty and justice is that of restraining individuals from constraining others, plus protecting individuals in the possession of whatever lawful property is theirs. Depending on the context, libertarianism can be seen as either the contemporary name for classical liberalism, adopted to avoid confusion in those countries where liberalism is widely understood to denote advocacy of expansive government powers, or as a more radical version of classical liberalism.

—David Conway

Examples of classical liberalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Under the National Conservative banner, the right was swerving from classical liberalism to nationalism, away from the most American of American ideas: that the United States is held together by a creed rather than a bloodline. —Franklin Foer, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2026

Most people see America as an experiment in classical liberalism, whereby the founders created a system of limited government, religious pluralism and liberty. —Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025

For instance, classical liberalism is markedly different from social liberalism, but not necessarily economic liberalism. —Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025

Of that total, $29 million went to George Mason University, including $12 million to the school’s Institute For Humane Studies, which supports graduate students, scholars and other intellectuals dedicated to promoting classical liberalism. —Forbes Wealth Team, Forbes, 3 Feb. 2025

Perhaps the key point for classical liberalism is that abstract, cosmopolitan principles of tolerance and equality do not seem to be enough to be the basis for a national culture. —Jeff D. Colgan, Foreign Affairs, 13 Jan. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for classical liberalism

• antiquarianism
• congregationalism
• constitutionalism
• cosmopolitanism
• electromagnetism
• environmentalism
• epicureanism
• evangelicalism
• experimentalism
• hyperparathyroidism
• hypoparathyroidism
• individualism