liberal

Meaning

Adj

1. Pertaining to those arts and sciences the study of which is considered to provide general knowledge, as opposed to vocational/occupational, technical or mechanical training.
2. Generous; permitting liberty; willing to give unsparingly.
3. Ample, abundant; generous in quantity.
4. (obsolete) Unrestrained, licentious.
5. Widely open to new ideas, willing to depart from established opinions or conventions; permissive.
6. Open to political or social changes and reforms associated with either classical or modern liberalism.

Noun

1. One with liberal views, supporting individual liberty (see Wikipedia's article on Liberalism).
2. (Canadian, Philippine, US) Someone with progressive or left-wing views, especially on social and environmental issues.
3. A supporter of any of several liberal parties.
4. (UK) One who favors individual voting rights, human and civil rights, and laissez-faire markets (also called "classical liberal"; compare libertarian).
5. (Australian) A conservative, especially a liberal conservative.

Synonyms

generous

bountiful

munificent

open-handed

free

🆓

bounteous

openhanded

loose

handsome

progressive

broad-minded

liberalist

giving

large-minded

tolerant

free-handed

lavish

magnanimous

bighearted

big

freehanded

noble

broad

liberated

emancipated

kind

advocating liberty

donor

great

ample

charitable

permissive

free-range

freedom

catholic

forbearing

footloose

broadminded

floating

liberalism

favourable

benevolent

available

lenient

leftist

fancy-free

lax

liberalistic

fair

large

Translations

libéral

liberal

liberale

liberaal

liberal

φιλελεύθερος

liberal

liberal

vrijzinnig

generoso

großzügig

généreux

γενναιόδωρος

generoso

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɪbɹəl/

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.