Definitions for: Liberal


[n] a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties
[n] a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets
[adj] tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition
[adj] showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant of his opponent's opinions"
[adj] not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem"
[adj] given or giving freely; "was a big tipper"; "the bounteous goodness of God"; "bountiful compliments"; "a freehanded host"; "a handsome allowance"; "Saturday's child is loving and giving"; "a liberal backer of the arts"; "a munificent gift"; "her fond and openhanded grandfather"
[adj] having political or social views favoring reform and progress



Webster (1913) Definition: Lib"er*al (l[i^]b"[~e]r*al), a. [F. lib['e]ral, L.
liberalis, from liber free; perh. akin to libet, lubet, it
pleases, E. lief. Cf. Deliver.]
1. Free by birth; hence, befitting a freeman or gentleman;
refined; noble; independent; free; not servile or mean;
as, a liberal ancestry; a liberal spirit; liberal arts or
studies. `` Liberal education.'' --Macaulay. `` A liberal
tongue.'' --Shak.

2. Bestowing in a large and noble way, as a freeman;
generous; bounteous; open-handed; as, a liberal giver. ``
Liberal of praise.'' --Bacon.

Infinitely good, and of his good As liberal and free
as infinite. --Milton.

3. Bestowed in a large way; hence, more than sufficient;
abundant; bountiful; ample; profuse; as, a liberal gift; a
liberal discharge of matter or of water.

His wealth doth warrant a liberal dower. --Shak.

4. Not strict or rigorous; not confined or restricted to the
literal sense; free; as, a liberal translation of a
classic, or a liberal construction of law or of language.

5. Not narrow or contracted in mind; not selfish; enlarged in
spirit; catholic.

6. Free to excess; regardless of law or moral restraint;
licentious. `` Most like a liberal villain.'' --Shak.

7. Not bound by orthodox tenets or established forms in
political or religious philosophy; independent in opinion;
not conservative; friendly to great freedom in the
constitution or administration of government; having
tendency toward democratic or republican, as distinguished
from monarchical or aristocratic, forms; as, liberal
thinkers; liberal Christians; the Liberal party.

I confess I see nothing liberal in this `` order of
thoughts,'' as Hobbes elsewhere expresses it.
--Hazlitt.

Note: Liberal has of, sometimes with, before the thing
bestowed, in before a word signifying action, and to
before a person or object on which anything is
bestowed; as, to be liberal of praise or censure;
liberal with money; liberal in giving; liberal to the
poor.

The liberal arts. See under Art.

Liberal education, education that enlarges and disciplines
the mind and makes it master of its own powers,
irrespective of the particular business or profession one
may follow.

Syn: Generous; bountiful; munificent; beneficent; ample;
large; profuse; free.

Usage: Liberal, Generous. Liberal is freeborn, and
generous is highborn. The former is opposed to the
ordinary feelings of a servile state, and implies
largeness of spirit in giving, judging, acting, etc.
The latter expresses that nobleness of soul which is
peculiarly appropriate to those of high rank, -- a
spirit that goes out of self, and finds its enjoyment
in consulting the feelings and happiness of others.
Generosity is measured by the extent of the sacrifices
it makes; liberality, by the warmth of feeling which
it manifests.


Lib"er*al, n.
One who favors greater freedom in political or religious
matters; an opponent of the established systems; a reformer;
in English politics, a member of the Liberal party, so
called. Cf. Whig.

Synonyms: big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, broad, broad-minded, civil-libertarian, free, freehanded, generous, giving, handsome, inexact, liberalistic, loose, neoliberal, openhanded, progressive, progressive, reformist, socialised, socialized, tolerant, welfare(a), welfare-statist, welfarist

Antonyms: conservative, conservative, conservativist

See Also: adult, grownup, latitudinarian, left, neoliberal, pluralist, Whig

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