liberal

adjective

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lib·er·al | \ ˈli-b(ə-)rəl

Definition of liberal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts liberal education

b archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth

2a : 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

6a : 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

liberal

noun

lib·er·al | \ ˈli-b(ə-)rəl

Definition of liberal (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

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Choose the Right Synonym for liberal

Adjective

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 But the liberal wing of Pelosi's caucus wants the House bill to go much further than Biden's plan. — Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner, "Not enough: Liberals balk at Biden infrastructure bill," 1 Apr. 2021 The liberal wing of the Democratic Party has seized on the moment to do big things only loosely related to the legislation at hand. — Philip Elliott, Time, "Why Americans Could Be Paying for Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Long After the Roads Are Built," 1 Apr. 2021 The more liberal wing of his party wants to push the relief package the reconciliation process, which would allow the bill to pass with a 51-vote majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance. — Lisa Mascaro, Star Tribune, "Biden meets Republicans on virus aid, but no quick deal," 1 Feb. 2021 They have been riled, too, by China’s clampdown in Hong Kong and its growing challenge to liberal norms globally. — The Economist, "Will countries boycott China’s Olympics in 2022?," 27 Mar. 2021 QAnon conspiracy theories promote the false narrative that a cabal of satanic and pedophilic liberal elites secretly control the government, media and economy. — Devon Link, USA TODAY, "Fact check: ICE officials say Operation Talon cancelation wasn't Biden's decision," 25 Mar. 2021 Many liberal activists are frustrated by mainstream coverage of the Biden WH, and are becoming increasingly vocal. — Brian Stelter, CNN, "Here's what members of the media are saying ahead of Biden's first presidential press conference," 25 Mar. 2021 The most liberal appeals court in the country ruled on Wednesday that open carrying a gun -- meaning visible to others -- is not a constitutional right in America. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, "Judges erase ‘and bear arms’ from Second Amendment," 25 Mar. 2021 Just like Obama, Biden began his presidency by using a crisis as a justification to smuggle many long-time liberal priorities into a massive spending bill. — Philip Klein, National Review, "Unlike Obama, Biden Doesn’t Even Pretend to Care about Tackling Our Historic Debt," 24 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Again, there’s some backing for the judge’s appraisal: As this blog noted in 2017, studies have shown that mainstream media newsrooms are staffed by folks who skew liberal. — Washington Post, "Opinion: Fox News would be in trouble without ‘actual malice’ standard," 23 Mar. 2021 Free speech was a cause no liberal could in good conscience resist. — Louis Menand, The New Yorker, "The Making of the New Left," 15 Mar. 2021 The five-person board, which is technically nonpartisan, had been controlled by four conservatives and one liberal. — Haley Victory Smith, Washington Examiner, "Orange County Democrats gain control of supervisor seat for first time since 1894," 10 Mar. 2021 The state, in fact, is roughly on par with Florida—and no liberal has ever put its Republican Governor Ron DeSantis on a pedestal. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "The Cult of the Thuggish Democratic Politician," 4 Mar. 2021 Wiener, a liberal by just about any measure, is considered the more moderate of the two. — Los Angeles Times, "Column: After Nancy Pelosi, who? San Francisco plays a guessing game," 3 Mar. 2021 One of its most famous residents, the journalist and activist Margaret Fuller, embodied its liberal, abolitionist, gender equity ideals. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Chasing a painter’s long-lost rainbow at Brook Farm," 28 Jan. 2021 Minnesota's governor recently granted a request from Mayor Jacob Frey, an ardent liberal who opposes slashing the police budget, to station National Guard troops in the city to help maintain peace for the duration of the trial. — Joseph Simonson, Washington Examiner, "Minneapolis on edge as prosecutors finalize case against Derek Chauvin," 5 Mar. 2021 Those families would likely have legal standing to sue the administration and argue that the debt forgiveness left them worse off, said Mr. Looney, who is now a fellow at the Brookings Institution, a liberal-leaning Washington think tank. — Richard Rubin, WSJ, "Senate Bill Would Clear Hurdle for Student Loan Forgiveness," 5 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'liberal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.