1
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
an illiberal society that viewed any artistic depiction of the nude as inherently indecent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
some of the more illiberal residents were opposed to having a hospice for AIDS patients in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vulgar
archaic
lacking in refinement or good taste
people who had been scorned as illiberal because they were poor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illiberal
The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province.
—
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Hungary remains a democracy in name, but an illiberal one in substance.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Yet Robert Redford is gone, but somehow Salman Rushdie — who by his own admission should have been dead decades ago — is still here, carrying the mantle, a lonely liberal voice in an increasingly illiberal time.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Hungary remains a democracy in name, but an illiberal one in substance.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Yet Robert Redford is gone, but somehow Salman Rushdie — who by his own admission should have been dead decades ago — is still here, carrying the mantle, a lonely liberal voice in an increasingly illiberal time.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberal
Adjective
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Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The shape of a pot affects drainage, with taller, narrower pots draining better than shorter, wider ones.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, previously handled about 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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It was found [that] the actual tumor was pretty small.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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Then, the family says two others broke through a small window, manhandled their dogs and stole priceless mementos handed down through their family over generations, along with the cash.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On Sunday Hungary’s far-right leader Viktor Orban fell in an election after 16 years of some of the most bigoted and, by many accounts, corrupt rule in post-Soviet Eastern Europe.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
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On top of the bigoted sound bites from public officials that routinely make national news, it is deeply entrenched in America’s political discourse and local governance.—
Connor Letourneau,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Right now in America, when our discourse has gotten so crass and mean-spirited that to show the underlying kindness of this show is really resonating.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
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The beloved slapstick comedy is 85 minutes of pure entertainment, full of increasingly chaotic adventures and shockingly crass jokes that still produce guffaws decades later.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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For power users, this sort of thing can’t help but read as needling, even petty platform quirks.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
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Season 1 was a full-on sensation, powered by Steven Yeun and Ali Wong's performances as Danny and Amy, two strangers whose petty clash on the road snowballs into a vicious feud.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The interior and education ministries held a joint school security meeting in the capital, Ankara, on Thursday, that was attended by both ministers and all 81 of Turkey’s provincial governors, as well as police chiefs and provincial education directors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a school canteen employee and a police officer hurt, according to Sildak, who added that five of the teachers and students were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital because their conditions were more serious.—
Greg Norman-Diamond,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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