libero

noun

li·​be·​ro li-ˈber-(ˌ)ō  ˈli-bə-(ˌ)rō 

plural liberos

1

: a volleyball player who serves as a defensive specialist, is always positioned on the back line, and is allowed an unlimited number of substitutions

Distinguished from his or her teammates by a different colored jersey … , the libero may come into the game for any other player any number of times …

—Kelley King

2

: a soccer sweeper

The sweeper, or libero position, was created by the Italians as strictly a defensive position, but Beckenbauer converted it into a strong offensive weapon …

—Alex Yannis

Examples of libero in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the 5-foot-9 McQuillan got to show off her powerful hitting skills to the crowd, she actually was recruited by UConn as a libero. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Kentucky libero Molly Tuozzo enters her senior season as the reigning SEC Tournament MVP. — Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Richardson took particular interest, three former players said, in girls who played libero — the same position as his former girlfriend. — Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 20 Aug. 2026

Senior libero Anthony Wolf led the way defensively with 15 digs. — Tim Meehan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "sweeper (in soccer)," short for battitore libero, literally, "free hitter"; libero "free," going back to Latin līber — more at liberal entry 1

Note: The player designated libero was probably so called because he was not given the assignment of marking a particular opposing player.

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined at sense 2