Synonyms for liberal
ˈlɪb ər əl, ˈlɪb rəllib·er·al

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. liberal

   Generous (Latin genus, a race) primarily signifies having the qualities worthy of noble or honorable birth; hence, free and abundant in giving, giving freely, heartily, and self-sacrificingly. As regards giving, generous refers rather to the self-sacrificing heartiness of the giver, liberal to the amount of the gift; a child may show himself generous in the gift of an apple, a millionaire makes a liberal donation; a generous gift, however, is commonly thought of as both ample and hearty. A munificent gift is vast in amount, whatever the motive of its bestowal. One may be free with another's money; he can be generous only with his own. Disinterested suggests rather the thought of one's own self-denial; generous, of one's hearty interest in another's welfare or happiness. One is magnanimous by a greatness of soul (Latin magnus, great, and animus, soul) that rises above all that is poor, mean, or weak, especially above every petty or ignoble motive or feeling pertaining to one's self, and thus above resentment of injury or insult; one is generous by a kindness of heart that would rejoice in the welfare rather than in the punishment of the offender.

   Synonyms:
   bountiful, chivalrous, disinterested, free, free-handed, free-hearted, generous, magnanimous, munificent, noble, open-handed, open-hearted

   Antonyms:
   avaricious, close, covetous, greedy, ignoble, illiberal, mean, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, petty, rapacious, stingy

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. liberal

   Synonyms:
   free, gentle, refined, polished, generous, bountiful, catholic, enlarged, copious, ample, profuse, large, handsome, munificent, abundant, noble-minded, bounteous, tolerant, plentiful

   Antonyms:
   churlish, low, mean, boorish, ungenerous, illiberal, grasping, niggardly, avaricious, greedy, gainful, narrow-minded, bigoted, prejudiced, contracted, scanty, inadequate

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. liberal, liberalist, progressivenoun

   a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

   Synonyms:
   progressive, imperfect, liberalist, imperfect tense, progressive tense, continuous tense

   Antonyms:
   conservativist, conservative, narrow, exact, hidebound, buttoned-up, ungenerous, standpat(a), fusty, traditionalist, blimpish, stingy, right, nonprogressive, narrow-minded, ultraconservative, unprogressive, center

2. liberaladjective

   a person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets

   Synonyms:
   progressive, liberalist

   Antonyms:
   conservative, conservativist, exact, ungenerous, narrow, center, stingy, right, hidebound, buttoned-up, blimpish, traditionalist, nonprogressive, narrow-minded, standpat(a), fusty, ultraconservative, unprogressive

3. broad, large-minded, liberal, tolerantadjective

   showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

   "a broad political stance"; "generous and broad sympathies"; "a liberal newspaper"; "tolerant of his opponent's opinions"

   Synonyms:
   broad, bounteous, big, freehanded, full(a), panoptic, all-encompassing, extensive, all-inclusive, loose, unspecific, spacious, broad(a), patient of, encompassing, blanket(a), kind, free, all-embracing, across-the-board, tolerant, resistant, giving, bighearted, large-minded, wide, openhanded, handsome, bountiful, unsubtle

   Antonyms:
   conservative, conservativist, fusty, ungenerous, ultraconservative, narrow-minded, center, right, standpat(a), unprogressive, narrow, nonprogressive, buttoned-up, blimpish, traditionalist, stingy, exact, hidebound

4. liberaladjective

   having political or social views favoring reform and progress

   Synonyms:
   handsome, large-minded, giving, bighearted, openhanded, bounteous, broad, bountiful, free, loose, tolerant, freehanded, big

   Antonyms:
   conservativist, conservative, ultraconservative, exact, unprogressive, narrow-minded, buttoned-up, nonprogressive, stingy, blimpish, fusty, narrow, hidebound, right, center, standpat(a), ungenerous, traditionalist

5. liberaladjective

   tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition

   Synonyms:
   handsome, large-minded, giving, bighearted, openhanded, bounteous, broad, bountiful, free, loose, tolerant, freehanded, big

   Antonyms:
   conservative, conservativist, right, ungenerous, narrow-minded, center, traditionalist, exact, blimpish, buttoned-up, narrow, standpat(a), unprogressive, hidebound, nonprogressive, fusty, ultraconservative, stingy

6. big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, handsome, giving, liberal, openhandedadjective

   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"

   Synonyms:
   plentiful, magnanimous, bountiful, prominent, big, vainglorious, cock-a-hoop, free, braggy, good-looking, with child(p), fine-looking, giving, large-minded, grownup, grown, large(p), enceinte, well-favoured, bounteous, self-aggrandizing, broad, swelled, handsome, fully grown, braggart(a), bighearted, expectant, freehand, tolerant, heavy(a), great(p), large, bragging(a), bad, freehanded, heavy(p), well-favored, big(a), better-looking, self-aggrandising, boastful, full-grown, openhanded, adult, gravid, big(p), crowing, loose

   Antonyms:
   conservativist, conservative, ungenerous, unprogressive, standpat(a), hidebound, ultraconservative, narrow-minded, nonprogressive, buttoned-up, fusty, narrow, exact, traditionalist, center, stingy, blimpish, right

7. free, loose, liberaladjective

   not literal

   "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem"

   Synonyms:
   spare, bountiful, sluttish, wanton, devoid, big, at large(p), idle, costless, large-minded, bounteous, easy, promiscuous, tolerant, detached, informal, complimentary, unaffixed, handsome, open, gratis(p), bighearted, slack, innocent, on the loose(p), destitute, freehanded, gratuitous, barren, broad, free, openhanded, giving, light, escaped, lax, loose

   Antonyms:
   conservativist, conservative, unprogressive, right, hidebound, fusty, exact, narrow-minded, standpat(a), center, narrow, ultraconservative, traditionalist, nonprogressive, buttoned-up, ungenerous, stingy, blimpish

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. liberaladjective

   Synonyms:
   generous, bountiful, free, beneficent, munificent, princely, charitable, open-hearted, free-hearted, unselfish, disinterested

2. liberaladjective

   Synonyms:
   enlarged, catholic, tolerant, unbigoted, high-minded, magnanimous, honorable, chivalrous

3. liberaladjective

   Synonyms:
   large, full, unstinted, abundant, ample, plentiful

4. liberalnoun

   Synonyms:
   liberalist, advocate of liberal principles

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. liberaladjective

   Synonyms:
   generous, open-handed, bounteous, munificent, unstinted, princely, profuse, lavish, ample, abundant, catholic, magnanimous, tolerant

   Antonyms:
   illiberal, ungenerous, stingy, limited, narrow, bigoced

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "liberal":

   liberals, eldr, liberality, liberalism, free, al-ahrar, liberalist, free-market, lenient, liberal-minded

How to pronounce liberal?

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How to use liberal in a sentence?

1. Marc Lotter:

   The House majority proved on their way out the door what we’ve known since day one — they put America last, from passing a $1.7 trillion spending bill that secures the borders of Middle East countries, but not our own, to two years of reckless spending that created historic inflation, liberal leaders in the House divided our Nation and put America on a path toward a recession that could very well cost millions of people their homes, their retirement, and their jobs.

2. Clarence Thomas:

   But it turned out that through all of that, ultimately the biggest impediment was the modern-day liberal, they were the ones who would discount all those things because they have one issue or because they have the power to caricature you.

3. Bob Katter:

   Mr Katter hit out at both the Liberal National and Labor parties. You destroyed the timber industry, the tobacco industry, the fishing industry, the dairy industry and half the sugar mills,he said. We can't farm here because of the Great Barrier Reef. Out west we can't shoot pigs because guns are bad. You can't remove trees, can't use the water out west, can't use the land or improve it. We're not standing still. We're not going forward, so we must be going backwards.

4. Randy Feenstra:

   I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support over the past 17 months that made tonight possible and I thank Congressman King for his decades of public service, as we turn to the General Election, I will remain focused on my plans to deliver results for the families, farmers and communities of Iowa. But first, we must make sure this seat doesn't land in the hands of Nancy Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi liberal allies in Congress. Tomorrow, we get back to work.

5. New Jersey:

   It's the liberal policies in this city that have led to the lawlessness that has been encouraged by the President of the United States, sanctuary cities across the country, where if you are mayor, you don't want to enforce the immigration law? Eh, don't bother. Because the President doesn't like those laws.