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liberal
lib·er·al / ˈlib(ə)rəl/ • adj. 1. open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values: they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people. ∎ favorable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms: liberal citizenship laws. ∎ (in a political context) favoring maximum individual liberty in political and social reform: a liberal democratic state. ∎ (Liberal) of or characteristic of Liberals or a Liberal Party. ∎ (Liberal) (in the UK) of or relating to the Liberal Democrat Party: the Liberal leader. ∎ Theol. regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change. 2. [attrib.] (of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training. 3. (esp. of an interpretation of a law) broadly construed or understood; not strictly literal or exact: they could have given the 1968 Act a more liberal interpretation. 4. given, used, or occurring in generous amounts: liberal amounts of wine had been consumed. ∎ (of a person) giving generously: Sam was too liberal with the wine. • n. a person of liberal views. ∎ (Liberal) a supporter or member of a Liberal Party. DERIVATIVES: lib·er·al·ism / -ˌlizəm/ n. lib·er·al·ist / -rəlist/ n. lib·er·al·is·tic / ˌlib(ə)rəˈlistik/ adj. lib·er·al·ly adv. lib·er·al·ness n. ORIGIN: Middle English: via Old French from Latin liberalis, from liber ‘free (man).’ The original sense was ‘suitable for a free man,’ hence ‘suitable for a gentleman’ (one not tied to a trade), surviving in liberal arts. Another early sense ‘generous’ (compare with sense 4) gave rise to an obsolete meaning ‘free from restraint,’ leading to sense 1 (late 18th cent.). |
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"liberal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "liberal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-liberal.html "liberal." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-liberal.html |
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liberal
liberal pert. to the arts considered ‘worthy of a free man’; free in bestowing XIV; †unrestrained XV; free from prejudice XVIII; (of political opinion) XIX. — (O)F. libéral — L. līberālis, f. līber free, rel. to Gr. eleutheros; see -AL1.
So liberality XIV. liberate XVII. — f. L. līberāt—, —āre. liberation XV. — (O)F. or L. |
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T. F. HOAD. "liberal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "liberal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-liberal.html T. F. HOAD. "liberal." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-liberal.html |
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Liberal
Liberal city (1990 pop. 16,573), seat of Seward co., SW Kans.; founded 1888, inc. 1945. It is the trade center for a grazing and farm area. Oil and natural gas are extracted, and helium is processed in the city. Meatpacking and sand and gravel are also important to the economy. The traditional International Pancake Race between the housewives of Liberal and Olney, England, is held annually on Shrove Tuesday. |
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"Liberal." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Liberal." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Liberal.html "Liberal." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Liberal.html |
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Liberal
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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Liberal." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Liberal." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Liberal.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Liberal." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Liberal.html |
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Liberal
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Liberal." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Liberal." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Liberal.html JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Liberal." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Liberal.html |
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liberal
liberal •apparel, barrel, carol, Carole, carrel, Carroll, Darrell, Darryl, Farrell
•gambrel • spandrel
•astral, plastral
•cracker-barrel
•Errol, feral
•petrel, petrol
•spectral
•central, epicentral, ventral
•ancestral, kestrel, orchestral
•dextral • Sacheverell • mayoral
•sacral • wastrel • cerebral
•anhedral, cathedral, dihedral, tetrahedral
•hypaethral (US hypethral), urethral
•squirrel, Tyrol, Wirral
•timbrel, whimbrel
•minstrel • arbitral • sinistral • integral
•triumviral
•spiral, viral
•amoral, Balmoral, coral, immoral, laurel, moral, quarrel, sorel, sorrel
•cockerel, Cockerell
•dotterel • rostral
•aboral, aural, choral, floral, goral, oral
•austral, claustral
•scoundrel • cloistral • neutral • figural
•augural
•demurral, Durrell
•mongrel • sepulchral • lustral
•spheral • retiral
•crural, jural, mural, neural, plural, rural
•illiberal, liberal
•natural • federal • peripheral
•doggerel • mackerel • pickerel
•bicameral, unicameral
•admiral
•ephemeral, femoral
•humeral, numeral
•general • mineral • funeral
•spatio-temporal, temporal
•corporal • tesseral • visceral
•bilateral, collateral, equilateral, lateral, multilateral, quadrilateral, trilateral, unilateral
•pastoral
•electoral, pectoral, prefectoral, protectoral
•clitoral, literal, littoral, presbyteral
•dipteral, peripteral
•doctoral • several • behavioural
•conferral, deferral, referral, transferral
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"liberal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "liberal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-liberal.html "liberal." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-liberal.html |
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