liberalize

1 of 2

verb

lib·​er·​al·​ize ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

liberalized; liberalizing

transitive verb

: to make liberal or more liberal

intransitive verb

: to become liberal or more liberal

liberalization

ˌli-b(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

liberalizer

ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

liberalization

2 of 2

noun

lib·​er·​al·​i·​za·​tion ˌli-b(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

-ˌlī-ˈzā-

variants also British liberalisation

: the act of liberalizing or the state of being liberalized

the liberalization of citizenship requirements

—Cecil Hobbs

college entrance requirements had … undergone considerable liberalization

—Alfred Kähler

Examples of liberalize in a Sentence

Verb

The country's immigration policies have begun to liberalize.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Independent power producers supply about 40% of total capacity under long-term contracts signed after electricity generation was liberalized in the late 1990s. — ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Dictators who liberalize then risk alienating their ruling coalition. — José Kaire, The Conversation, 17 July 2026

Phu Quoc is a magnet for Indian travelers, with arrivals surging nearly 50% last year amid new direct flights and liberalized e-visa rules. — Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026

The ultraconservative breakaway group, which celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and rejects the liberalizing reforms implemented by the Second Vatican Council, has been at odds with the Vatican for decades. — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

liberal entry 1 + -ize

First Known Use

Verb

1765, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1794, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for liberalize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

liberalize

verb

lib·​er·​al·​ize ˈlib(-ə)-rə-ˌlīz 

liberalized; liberalizing

: to make or become liberal or more liberal

liberalization

ˌlib(-ə)-rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun