Other forms: liberals
Liberal describes a person or a policy that puts individual freedom first and prefers change in steps rather than by force. A government that legalises Sunday trading, a liberal father who lets his daughter pick her own subjects, a liberal school with no uniform.
The word also means generous, given in large amounts: a liberal helping of cream, liberal with his praise, and in that use it takes WITH. Liberal arts is a third thing again, a broad education in history, languages and philosophy rather than training for one job. In American politics liberal has drifted left and is thrown as an insult by the other side; in Australia the Liberal Party is the conservative one, which catches people out. As a noun, a liberal is a person who holds those views. Never assume liberal means the same thing in two countries, because you have to know whose politics you are standing in.
1adjectiveliberalIn favour of individual freedom, tolerant of other ways of living, and for reform by gradual steps.
“Her parents were liberal about most things, but not about the car.”
synonyms: tolerant, open-minded, progressive
2adjectivegenerousGiven or giving in large amounts; generous.
“He was liberal with the garlic, and the whole flat smelled of it.”
3nounholdsA person who holds liberal political views.
“The liberals in the party voted against the ban.”
4adjectiveeducationOf an education: covering a wide range of general subjects instead of training for a single trade.
“She took a liberal arts degree before deciding on law.”
Liberal came through Old French from Latin līberālis, 'befitting a freeman', built on līber, 'free'. In Rome that named the things a free man could afford to be: open-handed, broadly educated, under nobody's orders. English took the adjective in the 1300s, and the political noun, a liberal, waited until the 1800s.
Proto-Indo-European
*h₁lewdʰ-
Latin
līberālis — befitting a freeman
Old French
liberal
English, today
liberal
Built from
The adjective is from Old French liberal, from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”); it is attested since the 14th century. The noun is first attested in the 1800s.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA