Word
liberal
Definition
n. a person who believes in personal freedom and social progress. They usually support the government helping people and protecting individual rights.
n. a supporter of a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual. Often associated with the protection of civil liberties and, in modern contexts, state-led social reform.
Examples
“The liberals in the city voted for the new environmental law.”
“As a lifelong liberal, he campaigned tirelessly for marriage equality and expanded access to public healthcare.”
“The tension between classical liberals, who prioritize market freedom, and social liberals, who advocate for a robust welfare state, continues to define much of modern political discourse.”
Examples
simple
“The liberals in the city voted for the new environmental law.”
contextual
“As a lifelong liberal, he campaigned tirelessly for marriage equality and expanded access to public healthcare.”
complex
“The tension between classical liberals, who prioritize market freedom, and social liberals, who advocate for a robust welfare state, continues to define much of modern political discourse.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “liberal” in context.
Verb
01. alienate the liberals
“The senator's decision to vote against the climate bill risked alienating the liberals in his own party.”
verb + noun
02. unite the liberals
“The common goal of protecting civil rights helped to unite the liberals across different factions of the coalition.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. classical liberal
“He identifies as a classical liberal, emphasizing free markets and individual liberty over state intervention.”
adj + noun
04. socially progressive liberal
“The candidate appealed to the socially progressive liberals by promising to reform the criminal justice system.”
adv + adj + noun
05. staunch liberal
“As a staunch liberal, she has spent her entire career advocating for universal healthcare and social safety nets.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. generation of liberals
“A new generation of liberals is emerging, focusing heavily on intersectionality and climate justice.”
noun + of + noun
07. liberal at heart
“Although he works in a conservative industry, he remains a liberal at heart.”
noun + prep + noun
Usage
Often capitalized when referring to a member of a specific political party, such as the Liberal Party in Canada or Australia.
Real-World Examples
“The youngest of Spain’s big five newspapers, La Razón (The Reason) was founded in Madrid in 1998 and has an economically liberal, socially conservative editorial line.” “Retaining young, educated and liberal people is vital to sustaining the growth that young economies, such as Israel, depend on, Michael Ben-Gad, a professor at City St George’s, University of London, said.” “Pulitzer prize-winning US historian Jill Lepore’s new book addresses the threat posed to liberal democracy by artificial intelligence.” “They may be designed for elite liberal audiences in New York but the blue-collar worker in rural Iowa is still going to see his kid’s high school production of Grease .” Word family
NOUN
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/liberal
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0