libertarian
noun
lib·er·tar·i·an
ˌli-bər-ˈter-ē-ən 
-ˈte-rē-
plural libertarians
1
: an adherent or advocate of libertarianism
Libertarians take individual freedom as the paramount political value and understand coercion to be the antithesis of that freedom. While people can justifiably be forced to do certain things—most obviously, to refrain from infringing the liberty of others—they cannot be coerced to serve the good of other members of society, nor even their own personal good.—
Bas van der Vossen and Billy Christmas
Bas van der Vossen and Billy Christmas… the one big thing the libertarians knew and could explain better than anyone else—that the invisible hand of the market is a more reliable organizer of the economic life of nations than the visible hand of the state …—Richard Cornuelle
Richard Cornuelle2
Libertarian plural Libertarians
: a member or supporter of a political party supporting or promoting libertarianism
a registered Libertarian
libertarian
adjective
or less commonly Libertarian
… the libertarian ideology and rhetoric associated with "school choice," opposition to gun control, and the right of business to be free from government regulation.
—Alan Wolfe
Alan Wolfe
the Libertarian party
Examples of libertarian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump's tribulations with energy-efficiency and water-conservation standards echo those of libertarians and free-marketers who maintain that regulations often represent government overreach and restrict personal choice.
—Bob Woods, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Read more Stephen Miller wages war on the GOP’s libertarians
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 10 June 2025
Charles Koch, the billionaire industrialist and conservative megadonor, made a rare public appearance Thursday evening and called for libertarians to embrace their principles, in comments that seemed obliquely directed at a Republican Party taken over by President Trump.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Massie sensed the lack of electoral pressure is adding to the willingness to cast the libertarians aside.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for libertarian
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Bob Woods, CNBC, 29 June 2025
Read more Stephen Miller wages war on the GOP’s libertarians
The Movement is a weekly newsletter tracking the influence and debates steering politics on the right.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 10 June 2025
Charles Koch, the billionaire industrialist and conservative megadonor, made a rare public appearance Thursday evening and called for libertarians to embrace their principles, in comments that seemed obliquely directed at a Republican Party taken over by President Trump.
—Theodore Schleifer, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Massie sensed the lack of electoral pressure is adding to the willingness to cast the libertarians aside.
—Emily Brooks, The Hill, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for libertarian
Cite this Entry
“Libertarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libertarian. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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libertarian
noun
lib·er·tar·i·an
ˌlib-ər-ˈter-ē-ən
: a person who believes in liberty of thought and action
libertarian
adjective
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