liberal - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

A liberal is someone on the left wing of politics — the opposite of a conservative. Also, a liberal attitude toward anything means more tolerance for change.

There are many meanings for liberal, but they mostly have to do with freedom and openness to change. A teacher with a liberal policy toward attendance is going to be forgiving of missed days. A bank with a liberal attitude toward your money would probably be bad: some things are awful if they're loose and free. But no one will give you a hard time if you use a liberal amount of catsup on your fries.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: liberal

1	adj n	showing or characterized by broad-mindedness a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties
2	adj	given or giving freely
3	adj	not literal

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: liberal

1

adj showing or characterized by broad-mindedness

“a liberal newspaper”

Synonyms:: broad, large-minded, tolerant

: broad-minded
inclined to respect views and beliefs that differ from your own

adj having political or social views favoring reform and progress

Synonyms: left
of or belonging to the political or intellectual left

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

Synonyms: civil-libertarian
having or showing active concern for protection of civil liberties protected by law; liberalistic
having or demonstrating belief in the essential goodness of man and the autonomy of the individual; favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority; neoliberal
having or showing belief in the need for economic growth in addition to traditional liberalistic values; progressive, reform-minded, reformist
favoring or promoting reform (often by government action); socialised, socialized
under group or government control; welfare-statist, welfarist
of or relating to a welfare state; left
of or belonging to the political or intellectual left

Antonyms:: conservative
resistant to change; blimpish
pompously ultraconservative and nationalistic; buttoned-up
conservative in professional manner; fusty, nonprogressive, standpat, unprogressive
old-fashioned and out of date; hidebound, traditionalist
stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded; ultraconservative
extremely conservative; orthodox
adhering to what is commonly accepted; right
of or belonging to the political or intellectual right; show more antonyms...

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

Synonyms:: liberalist, progressive

Antonyms:: conservative, conservativist
a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas

Types:: show 5 types...; hide 5 types...; armchair liberal
a person of liberal ideals who takes no action to realize them; latitudinarian
a person who is broad-minded and tolerant (especially in standards of religious belief and conduct); neoliberal
a liberal who subscribes to neoliberalism; pluralist
someone who believes that distinct ethnic or cultural or religious groups can exist together in society; Whig
a member of the political party that urged social reform in 18th and 19th century England; was the opposition party to the Tories

Type of:: adult, grownup
a fully developed person from maturity onward

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

Type of:: adult, grownup
a fully developed person from maturity onward

2

adj given or giving freely

“a liberal backer of the arts”

Synonyms:: big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, giving, handsome, openhanded

: generous
willing to give and share unstintingly

3

adj not literal

Synonyms:: free, loose

: inexact
not exact