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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective liberal contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of liberal are bountiful, generous, and munificent. While all these words mean "giving or given freely and unstintingly," liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given.

a teacher liberal with her praise

When could bountiful be used to replace liberal?

The words bountiful and liberal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing.

children spoiled by bountiful presents

When is generous a more appropriate choice than liberal?

The synonyms generous and liberal are sometimes interchangeable, but generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift.

a generous offer of help

In what contexts can munificent take the place of liberal?

While the synonyms munificent and liberal are close in meaning, munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes.

a munificent foundation grant

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 liberal
Adjective
Wu, an unabashed liberal, now could be following those legendary mayors with a resounding win against Kraft. Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2025 Gebbia — a billionaire entrepreneur who was long considered a Silicon Valley liberal — said his shift began around 2021, when the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border left him deeply concerned. Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025
Noun
Biden's support of Israel drew a backlash from some liberal voters, who frequently interrupted the former president's public events with protests. Joey Garrison, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025 What To Know Sotomayor led the dissent and was joined by her fellow liberal-leaning Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberal
Adjective
  • Its politics tend to be a battle between center-left and progressive factions, subsidized by the stratospheric wealth of policy-shaping tech and real-estate billionaires.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Political observers say Sheffield’s achievements are notable for a council member who was more progressive and radical in her ideas in a city with a strong-mayor form of government and law department that serves both the mayor and the council.
    Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The extra subsidies are especially generous for this group.
    Elena Shao, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • But the Stranahans, who owned 10 acres of land in total, were equally generous with their land.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36‐4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association.
    Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.
    Kevin Stankiewicz,Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That includes Valentín, a leftist whose own dreams of revolution have been cut short by the dictatorship’s crackdowns.
    Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
  • His cultural critiques were unmistakably right-wing, but his scorn for the corporatization of universities might have come from the mouth of a disaffected leftist.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But one scholar, Anthony Grafton, who about thirty years ago published Forgers and Critics, focused on how in the early modern period, there was this enormous flourishing not only of culture but also of liars.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The program features hits from the ’70s, such as The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elvis and The Carpenters, with modern twist.
    Linda Mcintosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The northern Appalachians will have the inverse, a mild start that turns cool, but keep the plentiful sun.
    James Powel, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Browse the galleries at Tlaquepaque Sedona has a thriving arts community with plentiful galleries, and many of them can be found at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village.
    Paige Moore, AZCentral.com, 11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Since that time, says Paine, even those fortunate enough to live under benevolent rule have seldom been more than one generation away from yet another dreadful monarch.
    Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2025
  • All of that dirt wouldn’t entirely dampen the sound of your screaming, so there’s always the chance some benevolent gravedigger could save you.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Sensing a potential early turning point in the game, Wilson deployed his best lefty, Gabe Speier.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • But the lefty seems bound for a huge payday on the open market.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Liberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liberal. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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