liberalism

noun

lib·​er·​al·​ism ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce liberalism (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being liberal
2
a
often capitalized : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity
b
: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard (see gold standard sense 1)
c
: a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy (see autonomy sense 2) of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties
specifically : such a philosophy that considers government as a crucial instrument for amelioration of social inequities (such as those involving race, gender, or class)
d
capitalized : the principles and policies of a Liberal (see liberal entry 1 sense 6b) party
liberalist noun or adjective
liberalistic adjective

Examples of liberalism in a Sentence

liberalism had always claimed to stand for the greatest social good
Recent Examples on the Web California is a stronghold of liberalism, but the Central Valley, where the scent of manure rims the highways and cattle ranchers tend winter grass, is a redoubt of conservatism. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Her concert program will focus on music from the Weimar Republic era in Germany, from the post-WWI liberalism in 1918 to the rise of fascism in 1933. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 Monetarism was a direct challenge to New Deal liberalism, which prioritized employment over managing inflation. Krithika Varagur, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2024 Suddenly, America’s unipolar moment had arrived, and the global triumph of liberalism seemed sure to follow. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 Nevertheless, mandating cursive for kids is California liberalism at its worst. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024 After the transition to liberalism, Albanians were better off in some significant ways. Han Zhang, The New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2023 Despite the provocative title, the work is a strong defense of liberalism, arguing that some forms of nondemocratic rule, such as a meritocracy based on Confucian values, could better preserve liberal values than democracy can. Rana Mitter, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 There’s not much evidence of the film generating major impact for the rapidly waning fortunes of liberalism in the ’80s. Steven Gaydos, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'liberalism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see liberal entry 1

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of liberalism was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near liberalism

Cite this Entry

“Liberalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liberalism. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

liberalism

noun
lib·​er·​al·​ism ˈlib(-ə)-rə-ˌliz-əm How to pronounce liberalism (audio)
: a political belief stressing progress, the essential goodness of humankind, and individual freedom

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