as in illiberality
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices
They each accused the other of a form of illiberalism.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illiberalism
Orban and Putin once shared a close working relationship, grounded in energy deals and mutual illiberalism.
—
Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Space warfare, cyber defense, mass migration, corruption, and illiberalism require fluency, adaptability, empathy, and collaboration.
—Loree Sutton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
If so, or even if not, the results of illiberalism by governmental bodies on both sides of the Atlantic are clear for all to see.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Hazony’s main project, the National Conservatism conference, has served as a hub connecting various different strands of illiberalism to each other and to power.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for illiberalism
Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
Space warfare, cyber defense, mass migration, corruption, and illiberalism require fluency, adaptability, empathy, and collaboration.
—Loree Sutton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
If so, or even if not, the results of illiberalism by governmental bodies on both sides of the Atlantic are clear for all to see.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Hazony’s main project, the National Conservatism conference, has served as a hub connecting various different strands of illiberalism to each other and to power.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for illiberalism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberalism
Noun
-
Nobody would have been surprised to hear Bad Bunny use one of the year’s biggest stages to levy direct condemnation of the administration’s dehumanizing bigotry.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
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Sure, the demeaning bigotry cannot be ignored, and the post was just after armed federal agents burst into a hotel room to arrest the unarmed Black journalist Don Lemon, and the National Park Service removed a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The signal predicament of our era is the global rise of illiberalism and intolerance.—
Christopher Beha,
New Yorker,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Have ruled out lactose intolerance or milk allergy.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And many folks thought that that was a type of dogmatism and inflexibility that was not productive.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
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That — metaphorically and literally — is earned dogmatism, the risk that expertise breeds rigidity in our thinking and decision-making.—
Tim Maurer,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The complaint was dismissed with prejudice.—
Mary Divine,
Twin Cities,
18 Feb. 2026
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The case was settled out of court last year after FKA Twigs dropped the lawsuit with prejudice.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Someone with a deep connection to Texas A&M University may be able to put aside their bias and give the University of Texas a fair trial, the judge noted a couple of times in the echoey downtown Fort Worth courtroom jammed with nine defendants.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated February 17,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 Feb. 2026
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In his second hour of comedy, the Comedy Cellar regular discusses divorce, middle-age and cats — sharing his thoughts on the world’s bias against men with cats.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In addition to tracking a president's popularity, the polls also reveal partisanship and other rapid public opinion moves while a president is in office.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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And when the failure drags on long enough, extreme partisanship rushes in to fill it.—
Melissa Derosa,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illiberalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberalism. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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