1
as in progressive
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
parents who take a very liberal attitude toward letting their children stay out late
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in generous
being more than enough without being excessive
he always puts liberal amounts of grated cheese on his pizza
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in charitable
giving or sharing in abundance and without hesitation
a doctor who has been very liberal in dispensing low-cost care to patients who could not otherwise afford it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in leftist
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of liberal
Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
This, too, is the post-World War II order — the Cold War order, in which countries colonized by the Soviet Union were excluded from the liberal aspirations asserted by the West.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Consider that in the United States, a liberal is someone who stands on the political left, probably voted for Joe Biden, and may subscribe to some lite socialism (another Humpty Dumpty term, but one at a time).
—Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liberal
Adjective
The story does not question why, if the goal were only to balance liberal and conservative views, New College plans to erect a statue of hard-right ideologue Charlie Kirk on its front lawn.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
This, too, is the post-World War II order — the Cold War order, in which countries colonized by the Soviet Union were excluded from the liberal aspirations asserted by the West.
—M. Gessen, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Noun
Police have not released any further information about Corral, but angry social media users denounced him as a leftist and a liberal.
—Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
Consider that in the United States, a liberal is someone who stands on the political left, probably voted for Joe Biden, and may subscribe to some lite socialism (another Humpty Dumpty term, but one at a time).
—Big Think, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for liberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberal
Adjective
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One proposal gaining support at least among progressive members is a payroll tax, loosely modeled after a Massachusetts measure, targeting companies that do not offer employees health insurance.—
Nicole Nixon,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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It was later discovered Williams had Lewy body dementia, the second-most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Despite widespread fatigue over tipping prompts, Americans still tend to be generous when dining out at restaurants.—
Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Duvi was pleasantly surprised when their photographers not only issued a generous refund, but also stayed late and added extra services.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
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The donation, considered one of the largest charitable contributions ever made public, was made to Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, which was started by Melinda in 2022.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Over the music, Lymberopoulos made sure to tell me that most Greek people in Astoria weren’t this leftist.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
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Another leftist would not lead Brazil until the 2003 election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who is once again the nation's head after winning the 2023 election.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their relaxed drape feels modern and unfussy, striking the right balance between polish and comfort.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
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According to Makaym Dybenko, the system balances customization with military-standard compatibility, positioning DroneHunter Varta as a flexible counter-drone solution for modern combat environments.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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One has a drier environment with plentiful airflow, while the other has a humid climate.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
6 Jan. 2026
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Travel headaches were plentiful throughout the two-day ordeal, with luggage being separated from its owners as flights across the country trickled to a stop.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Sandy Rabins, who led AnimAID efforts to help those in the animation industry affected by the 2025 LA wildfires, will receive the June Foray Award for benevolent impact to the animation community.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
5 Jan. 2026
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Not like a drunk way but like a benevolent alien who couldn’t believe that this planet had donuts.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Suárez’s a classic lefty in the best sense.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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On the baseball diamond, a future Hall of Fame lefty named Randy Johnson was getting his start with the Indians along with local legend Razor Shines.—
Joe Mutascio,
IndyStar,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Liberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liberal. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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