liberal

Pronunciation: /ˈlɪb.(ə.)ɹəl/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B1 — Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties
  2. noun a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets
  3. adjective showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

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.

In classic literature

Synonyms

liberalist, progressive

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
adult
Narrower (hyponyms)
armchair liberal, pluralist, latitudinarian, whig, neoliberal
Opposite (antonyms)
conservative

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading

Nice save! Solidify it with review →