LIBERAL: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for LIBERAL?

Need another word that means the same as “liberal”? Find 59 synonyms and 30 related words for “liberal” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Liberal” are: big, bighearted, bounteous, bountiful, freehanded, giving, handsome, openhanded, broad, large-minded, tolerant, free, loose, unprejudiced, unbigoted, broad-minded, open-minded, enlightened, forbearing, progressive, advanced, modern, forward-looking, reformist, radical, abundant, copious, ample, plentiful, generous, lavish, luxuriant, profuse, considerable, prolific, rich, magnanimous, unsparing, unstinting, ungrudging, munificent, beneficent, benevolent, kind-hearted, kind, philanthropic, charitable, altruistic, unselfish, wide-ranging, general, humanistic, flexible, rough, not literal, not strict, not close, liberalist

Liberal as a Noun

Definitions of "Liberal" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “liberal” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• A supporter of a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.
• A person who favors an economic theory of laissez-faire and self-regulating markets.
• A person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties.
• A supporter or member of a Liberal party or (in the UK) the Liberal Democrat Party.
• A supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.

Synonyms of "Liberal" as a noun (2 Words)

liberalist	A person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties.
progressive	A progressive tense or aspect. People tend to present themselves either as progressives or traditionalists on this issue.

Usage Examples of "Liberal" as a noun

• Classical liberals emphasized the right of the individual to make decisions, even if the results dismayed their neighbours or injured themselves.
• Are we dealing with a polarization between liberals and conservatives?
• The Liberals are looking to defend a seat in Tuebrook and Stoneycroft.

Liberal as an Adjective

Definitions of "Liberal" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “liberal” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Having political or social views favoring reform and progress.
• (in a political context) favouring policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.
• Tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition.
• Given, used, or occurring in generous amounts.
• Given or giving freely.
• Showing or characterized by broad-mindedness.
• Willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.
• Relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise.
• (of a person) giving generously.
• Relating to a Liberal party or (in the UK) the Liberal Democrat Party.
• Regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change.
• (of education) concerned with broadening a person's general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training.
• (especially of an interpretation of a law) broadly construed or understood; not strictly literal or exact.
• Not literal.

Synonyms of "Liberal" as an adjective (57 Words)

abundant	Having plenty of. There was abundant evidence to support the theory.
advanced	Modern and recently developed. People of advanced years.
altruistic	Showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others. I question how altruistic his motives were.
ample	Fairly large. Had ample food for the party.
beneficent	(of a person) generous or doing good. A beneficent landowner.
benevolent	Well meaning and kindly. A benevolent smile.
big	Fully developed. A small company with big plans.
bighearted	Given or giving freely.
bounteous	Generously given or giving; bountiful. The bounteous goodness of God.
bountiful	Giving generously. This bountiful God has thought of everything.
broad	Broad in scope or content. A broad expanse of paddy fields.
broad-minded	Inclined to respect views and beliefs that differ from your own.
charitable	Generous in giving to those in need. Those who were less charitable called for his resignation.
considerable	(of a person) having merit or distinction. A considerable quantity.
copious	Large in number or quantity (especially of discourse. Copious provisions.
enlightened	Having knowledge and spiritual insight. We become enlightened in our relationship with God.
flexible	Capable of being changed. You can save money if you re flexible about where your room is located.
forbearing	Showing patient and unruffled self-control and restraint under adversity; slow to retaliate or express resentment. He proved to be remarkably forbearing whenever I was impatient or angry.
forward-looking	Ahead of the times.
free	Not or no longer confined or imprisoned. Free enterprise.
freehanded	Done by hand without mechanical aids or devices. A freehanded host.
general	Prevailing among and common to the general public. In general terms.
generous	Willing to give and share unstintingly. A generous benefactor to the University.
giving	Given or giving freely. Saturday s child is loving and giving.
handsome	(of a number, sum of money, or margin) substantial. He was elected by a handsome majority.
humanistic	Marked by humanistic values and devotion to human welfare. Respect and humanistic regard for all members of our species.
kind	Agreeable, conducive to comfort. A kind master.
kind-hearted	Having or proceeding from an innately kind disposition.
large-minded	Showing or characterized by broad-mindedness.
lavish	Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious. Lavish praise.
loose	(of the ball or puck in a game) in play but not in any player’s possession. The tethered horses broke loose.
luxuriant	(of vegetation) rich and profuse in growth; lush. Forests of dark luxuriant foliage.
magnanimous	Generous and understanding and tolerant. Magnanimous toward his enemies.
modern	Belonging to the modern era since the Middle Ages. Modern German.
munificent	Characterized by or displaying great generosity. His father gave him a half dollar and his mother a quarter and he thought them munificent.
not close	Rigorously attentive; strict and thorough.
not literal	Limited to the explicit meaning of a word or text.
not strict	Severe and unremitting in making demands.
open-minded	Ready to entertain new ideas.
openhanded	Given or giving freely. Her fond and openhanded grandfather.
philanthropic	(of a person or organization) seeking to promote the welfare of others; generous and benevolent. They receive financial support from philanthropic bodies.
plentiful	Affording an abundant supply. Rhinoceroses were once plentiful here.
profuse	(of a person) extravagant. They are profuse in hospitality.
progressive	Advancing in severity. Progressive paralysis.
prolific	(of a plant, animal, or person) producing much fruit or foliage or many offspring. A prolific goalscorer.
radical	Markedly new or introducing radical change. Radical political views.
reformist	Supporting or advancing gradual reform rather than abolition or revolution. The reformist policies of the government.
rich	Marked by richness and fullness of flavor. A rich tenor voice.
rough	Not exact or precise; approximate. A rough draft.
tolerant	Tolerant and forgiving under provocation. Tolerant of his opponent s opinions.
unbigoted	Not opinionated.
ungrudging	Without envy or reluctance. Ungrudging admiration.
unprejudiced	Not having or showing a dislike or distrust based on fixed or preconceived ideas. An unprejudiced appraisal of the pros and cons.
unselfish	Disregarding your own advantages and welfare over those of others. Unselfish devotion.
unsparing	Not forbearing; ruthless. He is unsparing in his criticism of the arms trade.
unstinting	Given or giving without restraint; unsparing. Called for unstinting aid to Britain.
wide-ranging	Widely different.

Usage Examples of "Liberal" as an adjective

• A liberal backer of the arts.
• The provision of liberal adult education.
• Liberal amounts of wine had been consumed.
• They have liberal views on divorce.
• Sam was too liberal with the wine.
• They could have given the 1968 Act a more liberal interpretation.
• The strategy was to portray the press as members of a liberal elite.
• The Liberal leader.
• She is under attack from the right wing for making her own liberal political views known.
• A liberal newspaper.
• A liberal democratic state.

Associations of "Liberal" (30 Words)

activism	A policy of taking direct action to achieve a political or social goal. Growing activism on the abortion issue.
activist	Advocating or engaged in activism. Police arrested three activists.
anarchist	A person who advocates or promotes anarchism or anarchy. An anarchist newspaper.
capitalist	Of or relating to capitalism or capitalists. Capitalist countries.
communism	A theory or system of social organization in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.
communist	A member of the communist party. Communist governments.
crusader	A person who campaigns vigorously for political, social, or religious change; a campaigner. Crusaders for early detection and treatment of mental illnesses.
decentralize	Move departments of (a large organization) away from a single administrative centre to other locations. He argues that giant corporations must decentralize.
democracy	A state governed under a system of democracy. A system of parliamentary democracy.
democratic	Belong to or relating to the Democratic Party. A democratic country.
equality	A symbolic expression of the fact that two quantities are equal; an equation. An organization aiming to promote racial equality.
feminism	The movement aimed at equal rights for women.
freely	Willingly and readily. She drank freely to keep up her courage.
ideology	A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. A critique of bourgeois ideology.
legislator	A person who makes laws; a member of a legislative body. 24 incumbent legislators lost their seats.
liberalist	A person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties.
libertarian	An advocate of libertarianism. A lot of people are very libertarian they just haven t heard the term.
matriarchy	The state of being an older, powerful woman in a family or group. A matriarchy run by morally superior women.
munificent	Characterized by or displaying great generosity. A munificent bequest.
organizational	Relating to an organization or the way it is set up. She has great organizational skills.
progressive	A progressive tense or aspect. The present progressive.
protest	Utter words of protest. The senator rose to register his protest.
radical	Markedly new or introducing radical change. In the body free radicals are high energy particles that ricochet wildly and damage cells.
reformist	A person who advocates gradual reform rather than abolition or revolution. The reformist policies of the government.
republic	A form of government whose head of state is not a monarch. The head of state in a republic is usually a president.
socialist	Advocating or following the socialist principles. The history of socialist movement.
suffragette	A woman seeking the right to vote through organized protest.
suffragist	A person advocating that the right to vote be extended to more people, especially to women.
unstinting	Given or giving without restraint; unsparing. He was unstinting in his praise.
utopia	A work of fiction describing a utopia. Misplaced faith in political utopias has led to ruin.