What does “liberal” mean?
- 1
adjectiveaccepting different opinions and behavior; supporting social change and personal freedom
She grew up in a liberal household.
- 2
adjectivegenerous, or given in large amounts
Apply a liberal amount of sunscreen.
- 3
nouna person with liberal political views
Liberals and conservatives disagreed over the bill.
Liberal at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective & noun
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˈlɪbərəl/ · LIB-er-ul
How to use “liberal” correctly
In US politics “liberal” means left of center; in many other countries it can mean pro-free-market. “Liberal arts” are subjects like history and literature.
Common phrases with “liberal”
- liberal arts
- liberal democracy
- liberal views
- a liberal use of
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- tolerant
- progressive
- generous
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- conservative
- strict
Word family
- liberty
- liberalism
- liberally
- liberate
“liberal” is on these word lists
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