liberal

== English == === Etymology === The adjective is from Old French liberal, from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”); it is attested since the 14th century. The noun is first attested in the 1800s. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American, Canada, General Australian) enPR: lĭbʹ(ə)rəl, IPA(key): /ˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹəl/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈləb.(ə.)ɹəl/ Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation) -ɪbɹəl === Adjective === liberal (comparative more liberal, superlative most liberal) Generous; permitting liberty; willing to give unsparingly. Synonyms: charitable, frolic, munificent; see also Thesaurus:generous Antonym: authoritarian Ample, abundant; generous in quantity. Synonyms: good-sized, hefty, prodigious; see also Thesaurus:large Widely open to new ideas, willing to depart from established opinions or conventions; permissive. Synonyms: broad-minded, open-minded, tolerant; see also Thesaurus:permissive Antonyms: close-minded, conservative (obsolete) Unrestrained, licentious. Synonyms: easy, free, lustful; see also Thesaurus:promiscuous (education): Pertaining to a type of education the purpose of which is personal development rather than functional learning. Pertaining to a type of education the purpose of which is to cultivate and develop wise, capable and well-rounded people who are thus free of mental constraint and hindrance. (now rare outside set phrases) Pertaining to those arts and sciences the study of which is considered to provide general knowledge, as opposed to vocational/occupational, technical or mechanical training; usually found in the phrase "liberal arts". (politics) Open to political or social changes and reforms associated with either classical liberalism or "modern liberalism"/progressivism. 2021, Judith Rainhorn, The Colour of Controversy..., p. 10: Endorsing the liberal anti-interventionist credo that the marketplace should act as the "site of verification," the advocates of white lead opposed government intervention for the sake of open economic competition, which they claimed revealed its true value and thus should be the sole determinant: "When the railways were built, the stage coaches disppeared; they died a timely death. If zinc white is truly superior to white lead, it will kill us in the marketplace, but the government should not intervene." These were the words of Expert-Bezançon, in his February 1903 deposition to the parliamentary committee examining the bill for banning lead-based pigments in paint. ==== Usage notes ==== Differences between the classical and modern political definitions of the word "liberal" can make some phrases ambiguous. For example, if one says a certain region has "liberal gun laws," this can be interpreted with two opposite meanings. Recently, “liberal” as it was used previously has split into two terms “liberal” and “leftist”, where “leftist” refers to one with left-wing views spanning all political issues, whereas “liberal” refers to one with left-wing views on social and environmental issues but centrist or even conservative views on matters concerning economics and political reform. ==== Hyponyms ==== small-l liberal ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Korean: 리버럴하다 (ribeoreolhada) ==== Translations ==== === Noun === liberal (plural liberals) One with liberal views, supporting individual liberty (see Wikipedia's article on Liberalism). (US politics, Canadian politics, Philippine politics) Someone with progressive or left-wing views, especially on social and environmental issues. (politics) A supporter of any of several liberal parties. (UK politics) One who favors individual voting rights, human and civil rights, and laissez-faire markets (also called "classical liberal"; compare libertarian). (Australian politics) A conservative, especially a liberal conservative. ==== Coordinate terms ==== moderate, conservative, progressive, libertarian, centrist ==== Derived terms ==== neo-liberal, neoliberal economic liberal ==== Translations ==== === References === “liberal”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. liberal in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018. Raymond Williams (1983), “Liberal”, in Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society, revised American edition, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, published 1985, →ISBN, page 179. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin Eli Smith, editors (1895–1910), “liberal”, in The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia: […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. “liberal”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. === Further reading === “liberal”, in Collins English Dictionary, 2011–present. “liberal”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. “liberal”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022. “liberal”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present. === Anagrams === Braille, Briella, braille == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). First attested in the 14th century. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Central) [li.βəˈɾal] IPA(key): (Balearic) [li.bəˈɾal] IPA(key): (Valencia) [li.beˈɾal] IPA(key): (Northwestern) [li.βeˈɾal] Rhymes: -al Hyphenation: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === liberal m or f (masculine and feminine plural liberals) generous. tolerant, permissive. (job) A job with economic autonomy and intellectual activity, as in liberal professionals liberal, supporter of economic liberalism. ==== Derived terms ==== === References === === Further reading === “liberal”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “liberal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “liberal”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == German == === Etymology === From Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌlibəˈʁaːl/, /ˌlɪ-/ Rhymes: -aːl === Adjective === liberal (strong nominative masculine singular liberaler, comparative liberaler, superlative am liberalsten) liberal; permissive; allowing personal freedoms (politics) libertarian; liberal in the traditional sense (see usage notes below) ==== Usage notes ==== Liberale Parteien (“libertarian/liberal parties”) in German-speaking Europe are associated with support for free-market economy and small government. These parties most often represent the centre or even the centre-right of the political spectrum. The sense “left-wing”, which English liberal now often has, does not exist in the German word. When used of particular policies, German liberal means “permissive, rejecting legal restraints”. Thus, for example, left-wing parties are more likely to be liberal with regard to abortion, while right-wing parties are more likely to be liberal with regard to arms sales. ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== liberalisieren Liberalismus === Further reading === “liberal”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎[2] (in German) “liberal” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon == Indonesian == === Etymology === From Dutch liberaal, from Middle French [Term?] (Modern French libéral), from Old French liberal, from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). === Pronunciation === (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /libəˈral/ [li.bəˈral] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === libêral (comparative lebih liberal, superlative paling liberal) liberal: widely open to new ideas, willing to depart from established opinions or conventions; permissive (politics) open to political or social changes and reforms associated with either classical or modern liberalism ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “liberal”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Malay == === Etymology === Borrowed from English liberal, from Old French liberal, from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). === Pronunciation === (Southern Peninsular Malaysia Standard) IPA(key): /ˈlibərəl/ [ˈli.bə.rəl] (English-based) Rhymes: -ibərəl Hyphenation: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === liberal (comparative lebih liberal, superlative paling liberal) liberal widely open to new ideas, willing to depart from established opinions or conventions; permissive (politics) open to political or social changes and reforms associated with either classical or modern liberalism === References === === Further reading === "liberal" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017 == Norwegian Bokmål == === Etymology === From French libéral, from Latin liberalis. === Adjective === liberal (masculine and feminine liberal, neuter liberalt, definite singular and plural liberale) liberal === References === “liberal” in The Bokmål Dictionary. “liberal” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB). == Norwegian Nynorsk == === Etymology === From French libéral, from Latin līberālis. === Adjective === liberal (neuter liberalt, definite singular and plural liberale) liberal === References === “liberal” in The Nynorsk Dictionary. == Old French == === Etymology === From Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). === Adjective === liberal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular liberale) appropriate for a free person generous; giving ==== Descendants ==== → English: liberal French: libéral == Portuguese == === Etymology === Learned borrowing from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”). === Pronunciation === Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw Hyphenation: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === liberal m or f (plural liberais) liberal, generous, tolerant (politics) liberal ==== Derived terms ==== liberalmente liberaloide === Noun === liberal m or f by sense (plural liberais) (politics) liberal (historical) a supporter of the legitimacy of the queen Maria II of Portugal and her descendants Synonym: malhado Coordinate term: absolutista === Usage notes === In Brazil, the political sense of "liberal" is used to describe supporters of economic freedom, like classical liberals. === Further reading === “liberal”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “liberal”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Romanian == === Alternative forms === либерал (liberal) — post-1930s Cyrillic spelling === Etymology === Borrowed from French libéral, from Latin liberalis. Equivalent to liber +‎ -al. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /libeˈral/ Rhymes: -al Hyphenation: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === liberal m or n (feminine singular liberală, masculine plural liberali, feminine/neuter plural liberale) liberal ==== Declension ==== ==== Related terms ==== liberalism liberalitate == Serbo-Croatian == === Etymology === From lȉberālan. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /liběraːl/ Hyphenation: li‧be‧ral === Noun === libèrāl m anim (Cyrillic spelling либѐра̄л) liberal ==== Declension ==== === References === “liberal”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026 == Spanish == === Etymology === From Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /libeˈɾal/ [li.β̞eˈɾal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === liberal m or f (masculine and feminine plural liberales) liberal (clarification of this definition is needed) (US politics) liberal (Rioplatense) libertarian ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Noun === liberal m or f by sense (plural liberales) liberal (US politics) liberal (Rioplatense) libertarian === Further reading === “liberal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === From Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”). === Pronunciation === === Adjective === liberal (comparative liberalare, superlative liberalast) liberal (politics) of or pertaining to the Liberals (Liberalerna (L)) ==== Declension ==== === Noun === liberal c a liberal (politics) a member or supporter of the Liberals (Liberalerna (L)) Synonym: (historical) folkpartist ==== Usage notes ==== Formed as Folkpartiet (the People's Party) in 1934, then renamed to Folkpartiet liberalerna (the Liberal People's Party) in 1990, and then renamed to Liberalerna (the Liberals) in 2015. ==== Declension ==== === Related terms === liberalisera liberalism liberalistisk liberalitet === See also === centerpartist (“member or supporter of the Centre Party (Centerpartiet (C))”) folkpartist (“member or supporter of the People's Party (Folkpartiet (FP)) (historical – now called the Liberals)”) kristdemokrat (“member or supporter of the Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna (KD))”) miljöpartist (“member or supporter of the Green Party (Miljöpartiet de gröna (MP))”) moderat (“member or supporter of the Moderate Party (Moderata samlingspartiet (M))”) piratpartist (“member or supporter of the Pirate Party (Piratpartiet (PP))”) socialdemokrat (“member or supporter of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokraterna (S))”) sosse (“colloquially, member or supporter of the Social Democrats”) sverigedemokrat (“member or supporter of the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna (SD))”) vänsterpartist (“member or supporter of the Left Party (Vänsterpartiet (V))”) === References === “liberal”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish) “liberal”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) “liberal”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish) == Tagalog == === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish liberal. === Pronunciation === (Standard Tagalog) IPA(key): /libeˈɾal/ [lɪ.bɛˈɾal] Rhymes: -al Syllabification: li‧be‧ral === Adjective === liberál (Baybayin spelling ᜎᜒᜊᜒᜇᜎ᜔) liberal ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== == Turkish == === Etymology === From French libéral. === Adjective === liberal liberal