neoliberal

noun

neo·​lib·​er·​al ˌnē-ō-ˈli-b(ə-)rəl How to pronounce neoliberal (audio)
: a liberal who de-emphasizes traditional liberal doctrines in order to seek progress by more pragmatic methods
neoliberal adjective

Examples of neoliberal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To neoliberals, such policies distort the economy and put too much power in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians. Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2023 Yet since Tunisia’s revolution, few politicians – whether Islamists, neoliberals, or hard-line nationalists – have been willing even to talk about economic reforms for fear of hurting their electoral support. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2023 On one side, neoliberals believe that the United States should be engaged internationally, shaping the world in its image through the power of the dollar. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Sep. 2022 Prosperá was the same fantasy that had drawn libertarians and neoliberals to Hong Kong in the 1970s, Singapore in the 1990s, and Dubai in the 2000s: the dream of capitalism without democracy. Quinn Slobodian, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2023 Someone’s neoliberal is another’s conservative; someone’s democratic socialist is another’s Marxist. The Politics Of Everything, The New Republic, 29 Mar. 2023 To them, Lagos was a neoliberal. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022 Similarly, Bill Clinton was not so much a standard liberal, but rather a neoliberal who reinforced Reagan’s revolution from the standpoint of the Democratic Party. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 11 June 2022 And Leo’s character, Dr. Mindy, was going to be more the incrementalist, the neoliberal who was going to try and stay in the room. Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neoliberal.' 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

neo- + liberal entry 2

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of neoliberal was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near neoliberal

Cite this Entry

“Neoliberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neoliberal. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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