Meaning & use
liberal
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who favours personal freedom, gradual social reform and an active role for government in promoting fairness.
Grammar: Often capitalised when it names a party member: a Liberal.
Patterns
- a liberal on something
She describes herself as a liberal on social issues.
The senator was a liberal who backed public healthcare.
Many liberals protested the new restrictions.
adjectivecomparable
Supporting political and social reform, individual rights and tolerance of differing views.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a liberal policy, she is liberal.
Patterns
- liberal about something
The city has a liberal attitude toward immigration.
Their parents were fairly liberal about dating.
He holds liberal views on education.
adjectivecomparableformal
Giving or using something in generous amounts.
Grammar: Often followed by with: liberal with praise.
Patterns
- liberal with something
The chef was liberal with the garlic.
She made liberal use of the library's resources.
He was liberal with his time and advice.
Word forms
| plural | liberals |
|---|---|
| comparative | more liberal |
| superlative | most liberal |
Common combinations
- liberal democracy
- A liberal democracy protects minority rights.
- liberal arts
- She studied liberal arts at a small college.
- liberal views
- His liberal views surprised his conservative relatives.
- liberal party
- The Liberal Party won three seats in the election.
- socially liberal
- The town is socially liberal but fiscally cautious.
- liberal use
- The recipe calls for liberal use of butter.
Synonyms and how they differ
- progressive
- It stresses pushing for change and reform, and in US use often suggests positions further left than liberal.
- left-wing
- It is a broader and sharper label for the political left, while liberal can sound moderate.
- open-minded
- It describes an attitude toward new ideas, not a political position.
- tolerant
- It describes accepting differences, and does not imply support for government action.
Opposites
Word family
- liberalism noun
- the set of liberal ideas and politics
- liberalize verb
- to make laws or rules less strict
- liberally adverb
- in a generous or free manner
- liberty noun
- freedom from control
- neoliberal adjective
- favouring free-market policies
Commonly confused: liberal or libertarian?
liberal vs libertarian
A libertarian wants as little government as possible, even on economic matters, while a liberal usually accepts government action to support fairness.
Practice
In the United States, a politician who supports public healthcare and expanded civil rights is usually called a ______.
Choose one answer.
In US usage, liberal describes left-leaning politics favouring reform and government action. A libertarian wants less government, so it is the tempting wrong option.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “liberal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.