liberal

1 of 2

adjective

lib·​er·​al ˈli-b(ə-)rəl How to pronounce liberal (audio)
1
a
: inclined to be open to ideas and ways of behaving that are not conventional or traditional : broad-minded, tolerant
My father is more liberal and loving than twenty fathers combined.Karan Mahajan
Europeans generally have more liberal attitudes toward sex than Americans.Scott Stossel
b
: of, relating to, or favoring a philosophy of liberalism (see liberalism sense 1), especially political liberalism (see liberalism sense 2a) and often also social liberalism
a liberal newspaper columnist
a liberal Democrat in a family of conservative Republicans
pushing for liberal reforms
The discussion on the bench did not break down along the usual ideological lines, but the court's three liberal justices voiced the strongest concerns about ensuring citizens have access to public officials and critical community information online.Ann E. Marimow
In liberal states, policymakers are forging ahead with legislation to protect reproductive data online.Cat Zakrzewski
Conversely, courts in California have often been viewed as a receptive field of battle for liberal organizations … on matters including immigration, the environment, and voting rights.Abbie VanSickle
Divisions have erupted, along conservative and liberal lines, over how race, history and gender are taught, and how LGBTQ students and issues are treated in the schools.Hannah Kirby
c
Liberal : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism (see liberalism sense 2a)
the Liberal Party of Canada
the Liberal Party of New York
2
: relating to economic liberalism (see liberalism sense 2d)
In truth, investment is consistent with both a conservative and a liberal economic philosophy, as American leaders dating to Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson have recognized.David Leonhardt
They were tethered to classically liberal dogmas on the primacy of the market, as well as to an international order shaped by American financial and military preeminence.Ishaan Tharoor
3
a
: marked by generosity : openhanded
a liberal supporter of the museum
b
: ample, plentiful
At their simplest, these programs mask plagiarism through liberal use of a thesaurus; replace enough words with synonyms and hopefully nobody will ever find the original source.Charles Seife
4
: of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts
a degree in liberal studies
Classical education, like liberal education, begins from a perspective of respect, not of politics.Adam M. Carrington
5
a
: not strict or exact : loose
… the crews generally have a fairly liberal interpretation of regulations, and once safely airborne, allow the passengers to sprawl about the cabin however they desire …Jay A. Stout
He called himself Mr. Richmouth (a liberal translation of Riccabocca).Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Louisiana's alligator hunting regs are fairly liberal, except that no nighttime hunting is allowed.Will Brantley
b
obsolete : without the required or expected restraint
… I will speak as liberal as the north; / Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, / All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.William Shakespeare
liberally adverb
donates liberally to various charities
liberalness noun

liberal

2 of 2

noun

plural liberals
: a person who is liberal (see liberal entry 1): such as
a
: an adherent or advocate of liberalism and especially political liberalism (see liberalism sense 2a)
… the causes liberals have championed—racial and gender equality, workers' rights, equal opportunity, and so on …David McCabe
King's [Martin Luther King, Jr.'s] Christianity presents a challenge to liberals, who are often uncomfortable with religion in the public square, as well as to conservatives, who are more likely to embrace religion in politics but don't align themselves with the implications of many of King's core beliefs.Jonathan Eig
During his eight years in the Ohio House, Ramos was an outspoken liberal who, among other things, pushed for the abolition of the state's death penalty, legalized medical marijuana, making college more affordable, and state pension reform.Jeremy Pelzer
But criminal justice reform may prove more difficult to rally around, pitting conservative law-and-order advocates against social- and racial-justice liberals.Laurent Belsie
see also classical liberal
b
Liberal plural Liberals : a member or supporter of a Liberal (see liberal entry 1 sense 1c) political party
c
: someone who is open to ideas and ways of behaving that are not conventional or traditional
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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
However, the newer study did not confirm any consistent association between liberal ideology and the anterior cingulate cortex size. Paul Hsieh, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 Studies by both the liberal Brennan Center for Justice and the libertarian Cato Institute have found there is almost no evidence of noncitizen voting. Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Read More: Kremlin Confirms Trump Sent Putin COVID-19 Tests While President In June 1999, American officials got a glimpse of what worried Russian liberals so much thanks to the Kosovo War. Stephan Kieninger / Made By History, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024 Ninety-six percent of liberal likely voters support Harris, vs. 91% of liberals overall. Gary Langer, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for liberal 

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 3a

Noun

1611, 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 10 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!