take the liberty
To act on one's own authority, without asking for permission.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I took the liberty of ordering coffee for everyone.”
“Since you were busy in a meeting, I took the liberty of answering your emails.”
“The assistant took the liberty of adjusting the schedule to ensure the guest arrived on time for the presentation.”
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 03
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 04
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 05
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 06
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 07
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
- 08
I take it
Used to express one's understanding of another's position.
Last updated August 10, 2026