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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
The great Peruvian novelist and classical liberal Mario Vargas Llosa passed away on April 13 in Lima, Peru. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Apr. 2025 The 88-year-old pontiff, largely viewed as more liberal than his predecessors, died Monday morning. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
None of the nine justices dissented, although the court’s three liberals said the government’s appeal should have been denied entirely. David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2025 The candidate, Susan Crawford, won a decisive victory to keep liberals in control of the battleground state’s top court. Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberal
Adjective
  • He was seen by many as a progressive figure, speaking out on issues like climate change, refugees and unbridled capitalism.
    Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2025
  • The mixed messaging would presage his style as a pontiff whose doctrinal conservatism would blend with increasingly progressive public statements.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • At the end of every season, Jim had given generous gifts to the cast and crew.
    Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The generous battery keeps podcasts alive for a full travel day, and a ten‑minute quick top‑up grants four extra hours before boarding.
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • 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, 20 Apr. 2025
  • Cost is $20 per person with proceeds benefiting the club’s charitable causes.
    Pomerado News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The ability to influence others and follow through on commitments becomes more essential in the modern world.
    William Jones, USA Today, 3 May 2025
  • Recently, that’s meant enlisting a slew of TikTok creators to pass along the pro-milk mantle to a new generation of consumers that grew up in the age of almond milk, quietly advancing a more inclusive ideal of the modern milk drinker.
    HubSpot, HubSpot, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Beyond ensuring that Americans have plentiful food options in their grocery stores and cafeterias, the baking industry also fosters careers rooted in purpose and community.
    Eric Dell, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
  • Well, after how much the team has invested in his unit this year, the excuses are gone, but the opportunities are plentiful.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But at its core, Wrexham’s rapid rise owes mostly to club stumbling into a relationship with a benevolent benefactor with far more resources than most of its now-former fourth- and fifth-division peers.
    Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Kate has always been considered to have a killer instinct and able to make these tough moral choices, and not always in the most benevolent way.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 25 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In many ways, the lefty hitter brings everything the Blue Jays’ lineup lacks this year.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Between them was lefty Gavin Sheets, the starter in the No. 2 spot.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Living in Mexico is a radical act of joy, freedom, and reclamation.
    Essence, Essence, 24 Apr. 2025
  • But against the inertia of an institution built to resist change, even symbolic gestures can seem radical.
    Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Liberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liberal. Accessed 5 May. 2025.

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