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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
Any center of liberal and free thought from pop music to Ivy League universities is vulnerable to authoritarian impulses. Stephen Collinson, CNN Money, 7 June 2025 The brand’s name was to highlight the generational gap between the young, liberal baby boomers and their conservative post-war parents. Michael Loré, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Noun
The court’s three liberals – Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson – agreed with the outcome of the case but had different reasoning. Cnn.com, Mercury News, 29 May 2025 In 1968, the Republican Party was still dominated by liberals like Nelson Rockefeller and John Lindsay. Louis Menand, New Yorker, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberal
Adjective
  • And maybe that sentiment contributed to the election of Bill de Blasio, who did run explicitly on being the most progressive candidate in the crowded 2013 primary.
    Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025
  • Having said that, there is scope to be more expansive with his varied passing range; around 8.5 per cent of Todibo’s passes last season were progressive — just 11 top-flight centre-backs look forward with their passes less often.
    Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • Southern Living contributor Rick Bragg says the recipe is actually very simple: squishy white brand, salt and pepper, generous smears of mayo, and slices of juicy tomatoes.
    Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
  • But in a high-tax country like Norway, where locals already fund generous public services, the idea of taxing tourists has been politically sensitive.
    David Nikel, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio.
    Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 7 June 2025
  • What started as a charitable gesture from The Salvation Army in 1938 has since evolved into an annual tradition for brands and customers alike.
    Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • In modern times, Susan Ford, Chelsea Clinton, the Bush twins and the Obama sisters have all navigated their teenage and young adult years under the spotlight.
    Linda Marx, People.com, 7 June 2025
  • While North Korea's naval forces are widely seen as far inferior to those of its rivals, analysts say a destroyer equipped with modern missile and radar systems could still boost the North's offensive and defensive capabilities.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • The Malibu rum drinks were plentiful, the piles of pink sand underneath the beach chairs were pristine, and coolers full of sunscreen were stocked and bountiful.
    Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 30 May 2025
  • Bobcats are secretive, rarely seen predators that most often live in the foothills, canyons, mesa and plateaus where brush and woodland are plentiful, according to CPW.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Elsewhere, organised crime still has its tendrils in many parts of the sport across the globe, and the misty-eyed reverence for benevolent local tycoons is a notion that went extinct before the Tasmanian tiger.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025
  • Another new motif was the eye, meant to represent here an omniscient but benevolent entity that accompanies and perpetuates knowledge in an unaltered state.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • Boyd credited catcher Carson Kelly for recognizing the Nationals’ approach and adapted to their aggressiveness, which allowed the lefty to get early-count outs and pitch deep into the game.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
  • The lefty also retired 17 straight after a case of interference – a fan got in Aaron Judge’s way on a foul ball down the right field line – ended the sixth inning.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 4 June 2025
Adjective
  • The festivities end on June 22 with KC Defender’s Juneteenth Freedom Day Cookout, which will celebrate the history of radical Black resistance.
    Zuri Primos, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2025
  • Most enterprises are working within legacy systems, procurement requirements, and compliance barriers that make radical change hard.
    John Winsor, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

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

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