Definition and pronunciation
liberal — adjective: open-minded, tolerant, or generous; in politics, favoring reform, civil liberties, and social welfare. Also a noun for a person with these views; as a proper noun it can name a party (e.g., Liberal Party).
Pronunciation: /ˈlɪbərəl/.
Easy explanation
Liberal means “more open and allowing.” A liberal rule is less strict. A liberal person is generous or accepting of differences. In politics, a liberal supports policies that expand rights and social support.
Part of speech and grammar
- Adjective: liberal policy, liberal attitude, liberal amount
- Noun: a liberal; liberals
- Adverb: liberally
- Opposite adjective: illiberal
- Word family: liberalism (beliefs), liberalize (make less strict), liberalization (process)
Register and tone
Neutral on its own, but politically loaded depending on country and audience. In everyday use (liberal amounts of sugar), it’s nonpolitical.
Connection to sexuality
Indirect. It can describe attitudes, laws, or education that are more tolerant or rights-focused (liberal views on premarital sex, LGBTQ+ rights, sex education). It does not name sexual acts.
Common collocations
liberal arts; liberal education; liberal democracy; liberal values; liberal interpretation; liberal dose/amount; liberal with praise; liberal reforms; classical liberalism; social liberalism; liberal wing; Liberal Party
Idioms and expressions
- bleeding-heart liberal (US, pejorative)
- small-l liberal (general philosophy) vs capital-L Liberal (party name)
- a liberal sprinkling/dose (nonpolitical, “plenty of”)
Prepositions and nuance
- liberal with (generous use): liberal with praise/salt/funds
- liberal in (lenient practice): liberal in granting extensions
- liberal about/toward (tolerant attitude): liberal about dress codes; liberal toward differing views
- liberal on (policy stance): liberal on immigration/healthcare
These prepositions narrow the topic—generosity, leniency, tolerance, or politics.
Word comparisons
- liberal vs permissive — permissive = lax/lenient; liberal may be open but still principled.
- liberal vs progressive (US) — overlap; progressive often signals further-left reform.
- liberal vs conservative — conservative favors tradition/limited change; meanings vary by country.
- liberal vs libertarian — libertarian stresses minimal government across domains; liberals may support government action for equity.
- liberal arts vs political liberal — liberal arts = broad education, not a political label.
- liberal vs libertine — libertine = morally unrestrained in pleasure; unrelated to political “liberal.”
Real-life examples
- The dean supports a liberal interpretation of the honor code that emphasizes learning over punishment.
- Voters split between the liberal and conservative wings of the coalition.
- The recipe calls for a liberal dusting of paprika.
- A seminar contrasted classical liberalism with modern social liberalism.
- Their school teaches comprehensive, liberal sex education centered on consent and health.
Sample sentences
- The policy is liberal about remote work but strict on security.
- She’s liberal with praise, which boosts morale.
- He identifies as a liberal on economic issues and a moderate on defense.
- The judge took a liberal view of fair use in that case.
- Sprinkle liberally and serve hot.
Synonyms
open-minded, tolerant, broad-minded, generous, free-handed, abundant, ample, reformist, progressive (contextual), left-leaning (contextual)
Antonyms
illiberal, intolerant, narrow-minded, strict, stingy, miserly, conservative (contextual), hard-line, restrictive
Related terms
liberalism, liberalize, liberalization, illiberal, progressive, conservative, centrism, civil liberties, welfare state, liberal arts, liberal democracy, permissive, tolerant
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