illiberalism

noun

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce illiberalism (audio)
Definition of illiberalismnext
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for illiberalism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberalism
  1. bigotry
  2. intolerance
  3. dogmatism
  4. prejudice
  5. bias
  6. partisanship
Noun
  • The wall of xenophobia and bigotry, turned on its side, can be a table.
    — Josh Fox, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • That makes her villainous status even harder to shed, as many players and media members seemingly wear their bigotry toward her as a badge of honor.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of bigotry
Noun
  • For individuals with specific digestive conditions or fructose intolerance, consuming watermelon may cause uncomfortable symptoms.
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 30 July 2026
  • Across the country, incidents of religious intolerance are rising.
    — Scott Ehrlich, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026
Definition of intolerance
Noun
  • When authenticity becomes uncompromising, candor turns belligerent, consistency becomes rigid, or principled decision-making morphs into dogmatism, even the best intentions can backfire.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • By staying so close to black metal’s core sound, Marchenko does more to undermine the dogmatism—both racial and aesthetic—of Vikernes and his ilk than a more obviously experimental project might.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of dogmatism
Noun
  • In the District of Columbia, federal Judge Ana Reyes said comments from Noem about Haitians showed prejudice.
    — Jay Weaver July 22, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • An alleged child-abuse drama which cleverly plays with audiences own sense of prejudice, the work is hailed in its native Catalonia as a modern Catalan classic.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 21 July 2026
Definition of prejudice
Noun
  • However, inconsistencies and biases in the study’s findings have arisen over the years, leading researchers to scrutinize the data more closely.
    — Versha Pleasant, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
  • Dawson sued the university's governing board, arguing she was discriminated against because of her race and gender, and that she was fired in retaliation for speaking up about bias.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 30 July 2026
Definition of bias
Noun
  • However, the same poll found partisanship shapes peoples’ perceptions.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • After decades of economic upheaval and partisanship, there are simply no easy answers to our country’s vast array of problems.
    — Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 8 July 2026
Definition of partisanship

Browse Nearby Words

illiberal
illiberalism
illiberality
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Illiberalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberalism. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All