Adjacent Words

Liberal definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LIB'ERAL, a. [L. liberalis, from liber, free. See Libe.]
1. Of a free heart; free to give or bestow; not close or contracted; munificent; bountiful; generous; giving largely; as a liberal donor; the liberal founders of a college or hospital. It expresses less than profuse or extravagant.
2. Generous; ample; large; as a liberal donation; a liberal allowance.
3. Not selfish, narrow on contracted; catholic; enlarged; embracing other interests than one's own; as liberal sentiments or views; a liberal mind; liberal policy.
4. General; extensive; embracing literature and the sciences generally; as a liberal education. This phrase is often but not necessarily synonymous with collegiate; as a collegiate education.
5. Free; open; candid; as a liberal communication of thoughts.
6. Large; profuse; as a liberal discharge of matter by secretions or excretions.
7. Free; not literal or strict; as a liberal construction of law.
8. Not mean; not low in birth or mind.
9. Licentious; free to excess.
Liberal arts, as distinguished from mechanical arts, are such as depend more on the exertion of the mind than on the labor of the hands, and regard amusement, curiosity or intellectual improvement, rather than the necessity of subsistence, or manual skill. Such are grammar, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, music. etc.
Liberal has of before the thing bestowed, and to before the person or object on which any thing is bestowed; as, to be liberal of praise or censure; liberal to the poor.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: showing or characterized by broad-mindedness; "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant of his opponent's opinions" [syn: broad, large-minded, liberal, tolerant]
2: having political or social views favoring reform and progress
3: tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition [ant: conservative]
4: 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" [syn: big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, handsome, giving, liberal, openhanded]
5: not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem" [syn: free, loose, liberal] n
1: a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties [syn: liberal, liberalist, progressive] [ant: conservative, conservativist]
2: a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English l?odan to grow, Greek eleutheros free Date: 14th century 1. a. of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts <liberal education> b. archaic of or befitting a man of free birth 2. a. marked by generosity ; openhanded <a liberal giver> b. given or provided in a generous and openhanded way <a liberal meal> c. ample, full 3. obsolete lacking moral restraint ; licentious 4. not literal or strict ; loose <a liberal translation> 5. broad-minded; especially not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms 6. a. of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism b. capitalized of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives • liberally adverb • liberalness noun Synonyms: liberal, generous, bountiful, munificent mean giving or given freely and unstintingly. liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given <a teacher liberal with her praise>. generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift <a generous offer of help>. bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing <children spoiled by bountiful presents>. munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes <a munificent foundation grant>. II. noun Date: 1820 a person who is liberal: as a. one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways b. capitalized a member or supporter of a liberal political party c. an advocate or adherent of liberalism especially in individual rights

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 given freely; ample, abundant. 2 (often foll. by of) giving freely, generous, not sparing. 3 open-minded, not prejudiced. 4 not strict or rigorous; (of interpretation) not literal. 5 for general broadening of the mind, not professional or technical (liberal studies). 6 a favouring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate political and social reform. b (Liberal) of or characteristic of Liberals or a Liberal Party. 7 Theol. regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change (liberal Protestant; liberal Judaism). --n. 1 a person of liberal views. 2 (Liberal) a supporter or member of a Liberal Party. Phrases and idioms: liberal arts 1 US the arts as distinct from science and technology. 2 hist. the medieval trivium and quadrivium. Liberal Democrat (in the UK) a member of a party (formerly the Social and Liberal Democrats) formed from the Liberal Party and members of the Social Democratic Party. Liberal Party a political party advocating liberal policies. Usage: In the UK the name was discontinued in official use in 1988, when the party regrouped with others to form the Social and Liberal Democrats (see Liberal Democrat). Derivatives: liberalism n. liberalist n. liberalistic adj. liberally adv. liberalness n. Etymology: ME, orig. = befitting a free man, f. OF f. L liberalis f. liber free (man)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Liberal 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Liberal 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(liberals) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Someone who has liberal views believes people should have a lot of freedom in deciding how to behave and think. She is known to have liberal views on divorce and contraception. ADJ: usu ADJ n • Liberal is also a noun. ...a nation of free-thinking liberals. N-COUNT 2. A liberal system allows people or organizations a lot of political or economic freedom. ...a liberal democracy with a multiparty political system... They favour liberal free-market policies. ADJ: usu ADJ n • Liberal is also a noun. These kinds of price controls go against all the financial principles of the free market liberals. N-COUNT 3. A Liberal politician or voter is a member of a Liberal Party or votes for a Liberal Party. The Liberal leader has announced his party's withdrawal from the ruling coalition. ADJ: ADJ n • Liberal is also a noun. The Liberals hold twenty-three seats in parliament. N-COUNT 4. Liberal means giving, using, or taking a lot of something, or existing in large quantities. As always he is liberal with his jokes... She made liberal use of her elder sister's make-up and clothes. ADJ: oft ADJ with n • liberally Chemical products were used liberally over agricultural land. ADV: ADV with v

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. a. 1. Generous, bountiful, free, beneficent, munificent, princely, charitable, open-hearted, free-hearted, unselfish, disinterested. 2. Enlarged, catholic, tolerant, unbigoted, high-minded, magnanimous, honorable, chivalrous. 3. Large, full, unstinted, abundant, bounteous, ample, plentiful. 4. Refined, liberalizing, refining, befitting a freeman, humanizing. II. n. Liberalist, advocate of liberal principles.

Moby Thesaurus

Gospel side, abounding, abundant, advanced, affluent, all-sufficing, amiable, ample, aplenty, benevolent, big, big person, bighearted, bottomless, bounteous, bountiful, broad, broad-gauge person, broad-minded, cantorial side, charitable, chivalrous, copious, cordial, counterclockwise, diffuse, disinterested, dispassionate, ecumenicist, effuse, eleemosynary, elevated, epidemic, exalted, exhaustless, extensive, extravagant, exuberant, fair, far-embracing, far-extending, far-flung, far-flying, far-going, far-ranging, far-reaching, fat, fertile, flexible, flush, forbearing, free, free lance, free spirit, free trader, freehanded, freehearted, freethinker, freethinking, friendly, full, galore, generous, genial, giving, gracious, great, great of heart, greathearted, handsome, hearty, heroic, high, high-minded, hospitable, humanistic, idealistic, impartial, in plenty, in quantity, independent, indiscriminate, individualist, individualistic, indulgent, inexhaustible, isolationist, knightly, larboard, large, large-scale, largehearted, latitudinarian, lavish, left, left hand, left of center, left wing, left-hand, left-hand side, left-wing, left-winger, left-wingish, leftist, lenient, levorotatory, liberalist, liberalistic, libertarian, libertine, lofty, loose, luxuriant, magnanimous, many, maximal, much, mugwump, munificent, near, near side, neighborly, neutral, nigh, noble, noble-minded, nonpartisan, numerous, on the left, open, open-handed, open-minded, openhanded, openhearted, opulent, overflowing, philanthropic, plenitudinous, plenteous, plentiful, plenty, port, port tack, portside, prevailing, prevalent, princely, prodigal, productive, profuse, profusive, progressive, progressivist, progressivistic, radical, rampant, receptive, reformer, reformist, replete, rich, rife, riotous, rugged individualist, running over, sinister, sinistral, sinistrocerebral, sinistrocular, sinistrogyrate, sinistrorse, stintless, sublime, superabundant, sweeping, teeming, third force, third world, tolerant, unbigoted, ungrudging, unjaundiced, unopinionated, unprejudiced, unselfish, unsparing, unstinted, unstinting, verso, warm, warmhearted, wealthy, welcoming, welfare stater, well-found, well-furnished, well-provided, well-stocked, wholesale, wide, wide-extended, wide-extending, wide-ranging, wide-reaching, wide-stretching, widespread, wrong side