I. ˈlib(ə)rəl adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, Medieval Latin & Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin liberalis of or constituting liberal arts, from Latin, of freedom, of a freeman, noble, generous, from liber free + -alis -al; akin to Old English lēodan to grow, lēod poeple, Old High German liotan to grow, liut person, people, Old Norse lothiun shaggy, Gothic lindan to grow, Greek eleutheros free, Sanskrit rodhati, rohati he climbs, grows; basic meaning: growing
1.
a. : of, belonging to, being, or consisting of liberal arts or one of the liberal arts
the studies are liberal , not in one of the technical fields
b. archaic : of, belonging to, or befitting a man of free birth ; also : of, belonging to, or befitting one that is a gentleman in social rank
c. : of, belonging to, or befitting a free man
the liberal occupations of the gentry of ancient Rome
2.
a. : marked by generosity, bounteousness, openhandedness : not stinting
a liberal giver
a man of liberal nature
b. : bestowed in a generous and openhanded way : abundant , bountiful , ample
a liberal donation
a liberal quantity
receiving liberal rewards for the risks they took — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
c. : large , full
possessed a liberal lip
a liberal bosom
3.
a. : free from restraint or check : unchecked by a sense of the decorous, the fitting, or the polite
possessed a liberal tongue that was always offending people
b. obsolete : lacking significant moral restraints : licentious
4.
a. : not strict or rigorous
a liberal attitude toward one's children
b. : not confined or restricted to the exact or literal
a liberal translation of the Greek text
5.
a. : not narrow in mind : broad-minded , open-minded
b. : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional or established forms in action, attitude, or opinion
a man of liberal views who would not mind making significant changes in the social or economic structure if he felt it was for the best
liberal in his interpretation of his duties as a governor
theologians, even the most liberal , will rally to the defense of theology — A.L.Guérard
c.
[French libéral, from Middle French liberal ]
: of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism
the liberal theory of progress — M.Q.Sibley
the issue of liberal constitutionalism — G.H.Sabine
the liberal emphasis upon the inalienable rights of the individual — J.H.Hallowell
the Prussian monarchy was not liberal , but it was progressive and enterprising — Stringfellow Barr
— compare conservative , radical 3a
d. usually capitalized : of, belonging to, or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism: as
(1) : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom evolving from the Whigs and associated during the period of its status as one of the two major British parties of the 19th and early 20th centuries with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
the English Liberal party was rent asunder by the explosives of modern nationalism — C.J.Friedrich
Liberal representation in Parliament has been reduced to a tiny handful — Henry Slesser
— compare catholic , conservative , labor , radical 3c(1), tory , unionist , whig
(2) : of or constituting a major political party in another member nation of the British Commonwealth
the Province of Quebec … is the stronghold of the Liberal party — C.E.Silcox
launched the Liberal government's policy in Australia's federal election campaign — A.E.Norman
Liberal opposition to Labor proposals in the New Zealand parliament
(3) : of or constituting a minor political party active chiefly in New York and associated with social reform and support of policies favorable to organized labor
the anticommunist stand taken by the founders of the Liberal party
Synonyms:
progressive , advanced , radical agree in application to a person or thing freed from or opposed to what is established or orthodox. liberal , the most general term, suggests an emancipation from convention, tradition, or dogma that extends from a belief in altering institutions to fit altering conditions to a preference for lawlessness; on the one hand it suggests a commendable pragmatism, tolerance, and broad-mindedness and on the other a highly questionable unorthodoxy, experimentalism, or positive irresponsibility
a liberal Episcopalian, preferred a non-Gothic auditorium in which the congregation could hear well, rather than merely view distant ritual — Robert Berkelman
the prevailing liberal movement of the time was Benthamite in its emphasis on legal and social reform, and denounced tradition as the chief obstacle to progress — Michael Polanyi
don't let us be hampered by routine and red tape and precedent, let's … put a liberal interpretation on our duties — W.S.Gilbert
if liberal, in respect to language, means “tolerant of change”, this book is liberal. If it means “not strict”, the book is not liberal, or at least not intentionally so — J.B.McMillan
the strict school of rabbis allowed divorce only on the ground of adultery; the liberal school, on almost any ground — J.C.Swaim
progressive implies an opposition to the reactionary or backward, a willingness to forsake past methods or beliefs in the interests of improvement or amelioration
one progressive publisher is now experimenting with plastic bindings — Third Degree
the party direction must be moderate and yet progressive and dynamic — New York Times
the struggle … between the conservative and the progressive mind — G.G.Coulton
to progressive leadership — a leadership which has sought … to advance the lot of the average American citizen — F.D.Roosevelt
much progressive economic and social legislation designed to benefit the masses and to break the power of the privileged — A.C.Gordon
advanced usually applies to something high in a scale of development or ahead of its time often suggesting mental daring. It can favorably suggest the extremely liberal or progressive or unfavorably suggest something new and experimental to the point of foolishness or bizarreness
the economic interests of the advanced and backward peoples — J.A.Hobson
the most advanced nuclear weapons — V.M.Barnett
the continuing notion among many advanced writers that only difficult writing is good writing — F.L.Allen
to her own generation she seemed advanced in realism and in daring — F.L.Pattee
radical usually suggests extremeness to the point of a sharp break with the already established and especially in its political application a desire to uproot and destroy; it is often interchangeable with revolutionary
radical innovators, challenging the authority of the past — G.C.Sellery
radical and experimental music — Humphrey Searle
of mild nature and inclined to oppose radical changes in the established order — American Guide Series: Maine
radical and revolutionary view of the state
Synonyms:
generous , bountiful , bounteous , openhanded , munificent , handsome : liberal suggests openhandedness and lack of close stinting in giving
liberal gifts to his nephews
a liberal legacy to his servant
liberal grants from the legislature
a liberal serving of pie
generous may suggest some pleasing personality trait like magnanimity, warmheartedness, willingness to aid, altruism, or forgetfulness of self
he ladled out food with such a generous hand that the Indians named him ‘Big Spoon’ — American Guide Series: Maryland
if she gave a friend a present — and this must have happened every day, for she was generous beyond the dreary bounds of common sense — Osbert Sitwell
such a kindly, smiling, tender, gentle, generous heart of her own, as won the love of everybody who came near her — W.M.Thackeray
bountiful suggests lavish, abundant, and unremitting giving or providing
spare not now to be bountiful, call your poor to regale with you … give your gold to the hospital, let the weary be comforted, let the needy be banqueted — Alfred Tennyson
bounteous has about the same suggestion as bountiful but seems somewhat less likely to be applied to persons
the bounteous yields of cotton, alfalfa, small grains, sorghums, melons, lettuce, dates, and citrus fruits for which the state is noted — American Guide Series: Arizona
openhanded suggests free and unguarded generosity; its antonym is closefisted
openhanded to all appeals for charity
munificent may suggest princely or lordly lavishness and richness in giving
had been most munificent to his soldiers. He had doubled their ordinary pay. He had shared the spoils of his conquests with them — J.A.Froude
guaranteed by the United States government in terms of munificent land grants — Irving Stone
handsome may imply either that a gift is large and impressive or that the giver is magnanimous or gracious
final decision to join the Allies was based on their favorable military position … as well as on the handsome prizes which she was offered — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich
this method of dealing with her, if not lavish, was suitable, and in fact handsome — Edith Wharton
II. noun
( -s )
: one that is liberal: as
a. : one that is open-minded or not strict in his observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways
b. usually capitalized : a member or supporter of a Liberal party
Conservatives, Labourites, and Liberals have two whips each in the House of Lords — F.A.Ogg & Harold Zink
in Australia Liberals and Conservatives coalesced … in the face of the growth of Labour — Barbara & Robert North
a preference for the Democratic presidential nominee among Liberals in New York
in most European countries, the Liberals today are a right-wing party — A.M.Schlesinger b. 1917
c. : an adherent or advocate of liberalism especially in terms of individual rights and freedom from arbitrary authority
writing as a theological liberal
Manchester Liberals … fought factory legislation as a cardinal sin — Louis Filler
the liberal ' s concern for individual or minority rights and freedoms — F.W.Coker
— compare progressive