3 ADJ [ADJ n] A Liberal politician or voter is a member of a Liberal Party or votes for a Liberal Party. □ The Liberal leader has announced his party's withdrawal from the election. ● N‑COUNT Liberal is also a noun. □ The Liberals hold twenty-three seats on the local council.
4 ADJ Liberal means giving, using, or taking a lot of something, or existing in large quantities. □ [+ with ] As always he is liberal with his jokes. □ She made liberal use of her elder sister's make-up and clothes. ● lib|er|al|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Chemical products were used liberally over agricultural land.
li b|er|al a rts N‑PLURAL At a university or college, liberal arts refers to subjects such as history or literature rather than science, law, medicine, or business.
Li b|er|al De mo|crat (Liberal Democrats ) N‑PROPER In Britain, a Liberal Democrat is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party.
Li b|er|al De mo|crat Par|ty N‑PROPER [N n] The Liberal Democrat Party is the third largest political party in Britain and the main centre party. It believes in improving the constitution and the voting system and in providing good welfare services.
lib|er|al|ism /l I bərəl I zəm/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Liberalism is a belief in gradual social progress by changing laws, rather than by revolution. □ …a democrat who has decided that economic liberalism is the best way to secure change. □ …the tradition of nineteenth-century liberalism.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Liberalism is the belief that people should have a lot of political and individual freedom. □ He was concerned over growing liberalism in the Church.
lib|er|al|ize /l I brəla I z/ (liberalizes , liberalizing , liberalized ) in BRIT, also use liberalise VERB When a country or government liberalizes , or liberalizes its laws or its attitudes, it becomes less strict and allows people more freedom in their actions. □ [V ] …authoritarian states that have only now begun to liberalise. □ [V n] …the decision to liberalize travel restrictions. ● lib|er|ali|za|tion /l I brəla I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the liberalization of divorce laws in the late 1960s.
Li b|er|al Par|ty N‑PROPER [N n] In Britain, the Liberal Party was a political party which believed in limited controls on industry, the providing of welfare services, and more local government and individual freedom. Liberal Party is also used to refer to similar parties in some other countries.
lib|er|ate ◆◇◇ /l I bəre I t/ (liberates , liberating , liberated )
1 VERB To liberate a place or the people in it means to free them from the political or military control of another country, area, or group of people. □ [V n] They planned to march on and liberate the city. ● lib|era|tion /l I bəre I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …a mass liberation movement.
2 VERB To liberate someone from something means to help them escape from it or overcome it, and lead a better way of life. □ [V n + from ] He asked how committed the leadership was to liberating its people from poverty. [Also V n] ● lib|er|at|ing ADJ □ Telling your problems to a therapist can be a very liberating experience. ● lib|era|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ …the women's liberation movement.
3 VERB To liberate a prisoner means to set them free. □ [V n] The government is devising a plan to liberate prisoners held in detention camps. SYNONYMS liberate VERB 2
free: They are set to free more prisoners.
set free: Most of the prisoners were set free.
rescue: He had rescued her from a horrible life.
let out: I'd better go and let the dog out.
release: He was released from custody the next day.
lib|er|at|ed /l I bəre I t I d/ ADJ If you describe someone as liberated , you mean that they do not accept their society's traditional values or restrictions on behaviour. [APPROVAL ] □ She was determined that she would become a liberated businesswoman.
li b|era|tion the|o l|ogy N‑UNCOUNT Liberation theology is the belief that the Christian Church should be actively involved in politics in order to bring about social change.
lib|era|tor /l I bəre I tə r / (liberators ) N‑COUNT A liberator is someone who sets people free from a system, situation, or set of ideas that restricts them in some way. [FORMAL ] □ [+ from ] We were the people's liberators from the Bolsheviks.
Li|berian /la I b I ə riən/ (Liberians )
1 ADJ Liberian means belonging or relating to Liberia, its people, or its culture.
2 N‑COUNT A Liberian is a person who comes from Liberia, or a person of Liberian origin.
lib|er|tar|ian /l I bə r teə riən/ (libertarians ) ADJ If someone is libertarian or has libertarian attitudes, they believe in or support the idea that people should be free to think and behave in the way that they want. [FORMAL ] □ …the libertarian argument that people should be allowed to choose. ● N‑COUNT A libertarian is someone who with libertarian views. □ Libertarians argue that nothing should be censored.
lib|er|tine /l I bə r tiːn/ (libertines ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a libertine , you mean that they are sexually immoral and do not care about the effect their behaviour has on other people. [LITERARY , DISAPPROVAL ]
lib|er|ty ◆◇◇ /l I bə r ti/ (liberties )
1 N‑VAR Liberty is the freedom to live your life in the way that you want, without interference from other people or the authorities. □ Wit Wolzek claimed the legislation could impinge on privacy, self determination and respect for religious liberty. □ Such a system would be a fundamental blow to the rights and liberties of the English people.