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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
By supporting free-market ideas, which even many liberals embraced during the Clinton era, people unintentionally provided cover for those promoting more extreme beliefs about biological inequality. Erik Baker, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 Musk’s work for Trump, meanwhile, had alienated liberals and centrists, tanking Tesla’s sales and stock price. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Noun
For those of us in the trenches of X, the meltdown was a familiar sight, echoing the contempt that the tech elite have directed at San Francisco for years, with the endless lamentations of anarchy at pharmacy branches in Union Square or the liberal policies of politicians like Aaron Peskin. Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 30 June 2025 Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent for the three liberal justices that public schools expose children to different views in a multicultural society. Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberal
Adjective
  • Mamdani, who espouses more progressive socialist-leaning views, wants to make New York City more affordable for all, paid for through more taxes on wealthy individuals and corporations.
    Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Despite representing a team that finished 11th in the most recent Liga F season, Jacinto finished in the top 10 for progressive passes (third, with 238), key passes (joint eighth, with 49), passes into the final third (fifth, with 221), and passes into the penalty area (seventh, with 43).
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Both the House and Senate bills would phase out the more generous deduction for many households starting at $500,000.
    Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
  • As much as people talk about the U.S. and other countries becoming ever more individualistic, generations of American kin are arguably growing closer on average, researchers told me, and becoming more generous with one another.
    Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Buckingham, on her part, just wants to know the whereabouts of Rak and to go forward with other charitable efforts.
    Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2025
  • The charitable event, which launched in 2006 as an offshoot of the 24 Hour Plays project, has strict rules.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • And Sánchez, who styles himself a modern, progressive man, surely knew how coarse and sexist these men were.
    Gina Montaner, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
  • Despite introducing the modern world to Nintendo games with 1981’s arcade classic, the great ape was quickly sidelined in favor of making Mario a star.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • In the lower layers of the mountain, similar veins were plentiful, and one was even enriched with clays.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2025
  • The plentiful evidence for this is both quantitative and anecdotal.
    Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • The boys play benevolent Nathan Fielder types helping their friend Karli rehearse an upcoming appearance on the popular social-media show SubwayTakes; the prompts she’s presented with in their VR simulator offer a perfect place to nest jokes.
    Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 26 June 2025
  • Murals across Iran feature his seemingly benevolent white-bearded face.
    Steve Inskeep, NPR, 25 June 2025
Noun
  • Doing such a thing again, was a possibility, Baldelli acknowledged, especially with the lefties the Tigers have in their lineup, but after initially listing Friday’s starter as TBA, the Twins ended up opting for Festa.
    Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 28 June 2025
  • Pomeranz, a 36-year-old lefty who had not pitched in the majors since 2021, has struck out 20 and walked six in 21 ⅔ innings.
    Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Anyone who reads history knows the only reason any workers anywhere have any sort of rights is because past workers formed unions, and radical, militant ones at that.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
  • The administration’s radical and peremptory elimination of U.S. foreign assistance removed a lever of American influence and telegraphed a level of indifference that will not go unnoticed.
    KORI SCHAKE, Foreign Affairs, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Liberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liberal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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