Synonyms of illiberalism

illiberalism

noun

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm 

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

• illiberality
• bigotry
• intolerance
• dogmatism
• sectarianism
• prejudice
• bias
• narrow-mindedness
• partisanship
• small-mindedness
• parochialism
• illiberalness
• insularity
• opinionatedness
• intolerantness
• provincialism
• insularism
• partiality

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberalism
• tolerance
• liberality
• progressivism
• broad-mindedness
• progressiveness
• open-mindedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of illiberalism

The signal predicament of our era is the global rise of illiberalism and intolerance. — Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026

Journalist Anne Applebaum has documented how elites accommodate themselves to illiberalism, finding advantage in proximity to power even as institutions decay. — Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026

One of the abiding strengths of any genuinely liberal order—domestic or international—is that within it illiberalism can exist, and do damage, without posing an existential threat to it. — Stephen Kotkin, 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