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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lib·er·al
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English lēodan to grow, Greek eleutheros free DATE 14th century 1. a. of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts liberal education b. archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth 2. a. marked by generosity : openhanded a liberal giver b. given or provided in a generous and openhanded way a liberal meal c. ample , full 3. obsolete : lacking moral restraint : licentious 4. not literal or strict : loose a liberal translation 5. broad-minded ; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms6. a. of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism b. capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives • lib·er·al·ness noun Synonyms. liberal , generous , bountiful , munificent mean giving or given freely and unstintingly. liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given a teacher liberal with her praise generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift a generous offer of help bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing children spoiled by bountiful presents munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes a munificent foundation grant
noun DATE 1820 : a person who is liberal: as a. one who is open-minded or not strict in the observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways b. capitalized : a member or supporter of a liberal political party c. an advocate or adherent of liberalism especially in individual rights English Etymology liberal liberal (adj.) late 14c., from O.Fr . liberal "befitting free men, noble, generous," from L. liberalis "noble, generous," lit. "pertaining to a free man," from liber "free," from PIE base *leudheros (cf. Gk. eleutheros"free"), probably originally "belonging to the people" (though the precise semantic development is obscure), from *leudho- "people" (cf. O.C.S. ljudu, Lith. liaudis, O.E. leod, Ger. Leute "nation, people"). Earliest reference in English is to the liberal arts. Sense of "free in bestowing" is from late 14c. With a meaning "free from restraint in speech or action" (late 15c.) liberal was used 16c.-17c.as a term of reproach. It revived in a positive sense in the Enlightenment, with a meaning "free from prejudice, tolerant," which emerged 1776-88. Purely in reference to political opinion, "tending in favor of freedom and democracy" it dates from c.1801, from Fr. libéral, originally applied in English by its opponents (often in French form and with suggestions of foreign lawlessness) to the party favorable to individual political freedoms. But also (especially in U.S. politics) tending to mean "favorable to government action to effect social change," which seems at times to draw more from the religious sense of "free from prejudice in favor of traditional opinions and established institutions" (and thus open to new ideas and plans of reform), which dates from 1823."Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others." [Ambrose Bierce, "Devil's Dictionary," 1911]The noun meaning "member of the Liberal party of Great Britain" is from 1820.http://O.Fr Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 liberal lib·eral / 5libErEl / adjectiveRESPECTING OTHER OPINIONS 尊重他人意见 1. willing to understand and respect other people's behaviour, opinions, etc., especially when they are different from your own; believing people should be able to choose how they behave 宽宏大度的；心胸宽阔的；开明的: liberal attitudes / views / opinions 开明的态度/观点/意见 POLITICS 政治 2. wanting or allowing a lot of political and economic freedom and supporting gradual social, political or religious change (政治经济上)自由的,开明的；支持(社会、政治或宗教)变革的: Some politicians want more liberal trade relations with Europe. 有些政治家想与欧洲大陆建立更加自由的贸易关系。 liberal democracy 自由民主 liberal theories 自由主义的理论 a liberal politician 支持改革的政治家 3. Liberal connected with the British Liberal Party in the past, or of a Liberal Party in another country (旧时)英国自由党的；(英国以外国家)自由党的 GENEROUS 慷慨 4. ~ (with sth) generous; given in large amounts 慷慨的；大方的；大量给予的 SYN lavish :
She is very liberal with her money. 她用钱很大方。 I think Sam is too liberal with his criticism (= he criticizes people too much). 我认为萨姆太爱批评人。 EDUCATION 教育 5. concerned with increasing sb's general knowledge and experience rather than particular skills 通识(教育)的: a liberal education 通识教育 NOT EXACT 不精确 6. not completely accurate or exact 不完全准确的；不精确的；不严格的 SYN free :
a liberal translation of the text 不拘泥于原文的翻译 a liberal interpretation of the law 对法律的灵活解释 • lib·er·al·ly / -rEli / adv.: Apply the cream liberally. 抹上大量的奶油。 The word 'original' is liberally interpreted in copyright law. original 一词在版权法中解释很灵活。 nounSB WHO RESPECTS OTHERS 尊重他人者 1. a person who understands and respects other people's opinions and behaviour, especially when they are different from their own 理解且尊重他人意见的人；宽容的人；开明的人 POLITICS 政治 2. a person who supports political, social and religious change 支持(社会、政治或宗教)变革的人: Reform is popular with middle-class liberals. 改革受到了中产阶级支持变革者的普遍欢迎。 3. Liberal (politics 政) a member of the British Liberal Party in the past, or of a Liberal Party in another country (旧时)英国自由党成员；(英国以外国家的)自由党成员 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English liberal noun ADJ. leading | bourgeois, middle-class | old-fashioned, traditional | radical | market | economic, political, social LIBERAL + NOUN leader, party Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition n. Function: adjective 1 marked by generosity and openhandedness FF1C;a liberalallowance for his sonFF1E; Synonyms: bounteous, bountiful, free, freehanded, generous, handsome, munificent, openhanded, unsparing Related Words: exuberant, lavish, prodigal, profuse; benevolent, charitable, eleemosynary, philanthropic Contrasted Words: closefisted, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, penurious, stingy, tight, tightfisted; meager, scanty Antonyms: close 2 Synonyms: PLENTIFUL , abundant, ample, bounteous, bountiful, copious, generous, plenteous, plenty 3 not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms FF1C;modern young people usually have a liberal attitude toward sexFF1E; Synonyms: advanced, broad, broad-minded, progressive, radical, tolerant, wide Related Words: forbearing, indulgent, lenient Contrasted Words: rigid, rigorous, strict, stringent; dictatorial, doctrinaire, dogmatic, oracular; conservative, reactionary Antonyms: authoritarian Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged Search result show the entry is found in: Liberal Judaism Search result show the entry is found in: liberal arts , or liberal catholic , or liberal education , or liberal jew , or liberal judaism , or liberal republican , or liberal unionist , or limousine liberal lib·er·al I. \ˈlib(ə)rəl\ adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, Medieval Latin & Latin; Middle French, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin liberalis of or constituting liberal arts, from Latin, of freedom, of a freeman, noble, generous, from liber free + -alis -al; akin to Old English lēodan to grow, lēod poeple, Old High German liotan to grow, liut person, people, Old Norse lothiun shaggy, Gothic lindan to grow, Greek eleutheros free, Sanskrit rodhati, rohati he climbs, grows; basic meaning: growing 1. a. : of, belonging to, being, or consisting of liberal arts or one of the liberal arts < the studies are liberal, not in one of the technical fields > b. archaic : of, belonging to, or befitting a man of free birth; also :of, belonging to, or befitting one that is a gentleman in social rank c. : of, belonging to, or befitting a free man < the liberal occupations of the gentry of ancient Rome > 2. a. : marked by generosity, bounteousness, openhandedness : not stinting < a liberal giver > < a man of liberal nature > b. : bestowed in a generous and openhanded way : abundant , bountiful , ample < a liberal donation > < a liberal quantity > < receiving liberal rewards for the risks they took — American Guide Series: New Hampshire > c. : large , full < possessed a liberal lip > < a liberal bosom > 3. a. : free from restraint or check : unchecked by a sense of the decorous, the fitting, or the polite < possessed a liberal tongue that was always offending people > b. obsolete : lacking significant moral restraints : licentious 4. a. : not strict or rigorous < a liberal attitude toward one's children > b. : not confined or restricted to the exact or literal < a liberal translation of the Greek text > 5. a. : not narrow in mind : broad-minded , open-minded b. : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional or established forms in action, attitude, or opinion < a man of liberal views who would not mind making significant changes in the social or economic structure if he felt it was for the best > < liberal in his interpretation of his duties as a governor > < theologians, even the most liberal, will rally to the defense of theology — A.L.Guérard > c. [French libéral, from Middle French liberal] : of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism < the liberal theory of progress — M.Q.Sibley > < the issue of liberal constitutionalism — G.H.Sabine > < the liberal emphasis upon the inalienable rights of the individual — J.H.Hallowell > < the Prussian monarchy was not liberal, but it was progressive and enterprising — Stringfellow Barr > — compare conservative , radical 3a d. usually capitalized : of, belonging to, or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism: as (1) : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom evolving from the Whigs and associated during the period of its status as one of the two major British parties of the 19th and early 20th centuries with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives < the English Liberal party was rent asunder by the explosives of modern nationalism — C.J.Friedrich > < Liberal representation in Parliament has been reduced to a tiny handful — Henry Slesser > — compare catholic , conservative , labor , radical 3c(1), tory , unionist , whig (2) : of or constituting a major political party in another member nation of the British Commonwealth < the Province of Quebec … is the stronghold of the Liberal party — C.E.Silcox > < launched the Liberal government's policy in Australia's federal election campaign — A.E.Norman > < Liberal opposition to Labor proposals in the New Zealand parliament > (3) : of or constituting a minor political party active chiefly in New York and associated with social reform and support of policies favorable to organized labor < the anticommunist stand taken by the founders of the Liberal party > Synonyms: progressive , advanced , radical agree in application to a person or thing freed from or opposed to what is established or orthodox. liberal , the most general term, suggests an emancipation from convention, tradition, or dogma that extends from a belief in altering institutions to fit altering conditions to a preference for lawlessness; on the one hand it suggests a commendable pragmatism, tolerance, and broad-mindedness and on the other a highly questionable unorthodoxy, experimentalism, or positive irresponsibility < a liberal Episcopalian, preferred a non-Gothic auditorium in which the congregation could hear well, rather than merely view distant ritual — Robert Berkelman > < the prevailing liberal movement of the time was Benthamite in its emphasis on legal and social reform, and denounced tradition as the chief obstacle to progress — Michael Polanyi > < don't let us be hampered by routine and red tape and precedent, let's … put a liberal interpretation on our duties — W.S.Gilbert > < if liberal, in respect to language, means “tolerant of change”, this book is liberal. If it means “not strict”, the book is not liberal, or at least not intentionally so — J.B.McMillan > < the strict school of rabbis allowed divorce only on the ground of adultery; the liberal school, on almost any ground — J.C.Swaim > progressive implies an opposition to the reactionary or backward, a willingness to forsake past methods or beliefs in the interests of improvement or amelioration < one progressive publisher is now experimenting with plastic bindings — Third Degree > < the party direction must be moderate and yet progressive and dynamic — New York Times > < the struggle … between the conservative and the progressive mind — G.G.Coulton > < to progressive leadership — a leadership which has sought … to advance the lot of the average American citizen — F.D.Roosevelt > < much progressive economic and social legislation designed to benefit the masses and to break the power of the privileged — A.C.Gordon > advanced usually applies to something high in a scale of development or ahead of its time often suggesting mental daring. It can favorably suggest the extremely liberal or progressive or unfavorably suggest something new and experimental to the point of foolishness or bizarreness < the economic interests of the advanced and backward peoples — J.A.Hobson > < the most advanced nuclear weapons — V.M.Barnett > < the continuing notion among many advanced writers that only difficult writing is good writing — F.L.Allen > < to her own generation she seemed advanced in realism and in daring — F.L.Pattee > radical usually suggests extremeness to the point of a sharp break with the already established and especially in its political application a desire to uproot and destroy; it is often interchangeable with revolutionary < radical innovators, challenging the authority of the past — G.C.Sellery > < radical and experimental music — Humphrey Searle > < of mild nature and inclined to oppose radical changes in the established order — American Guide Series: Maine > < radical and revolutionary view of the state > Synonyms: generous , bountiful , bounteous , openhanded , munificent , handsome : liberal suggests openhandedness and lack of close stinting in giving < liberal gifts to his nephews > < a liberal legacy to his servant > < liberal grants from the legislature > < a liberal serving of pie > generous may suggest some pleasing personality trait like magnanimity, warmheartedness, willingness to aid, altruism, or forgetfulness of self < he ladled out food with such a generous hand that the Indians named him ‘Big Spoon’ — American Guide Series: Maryland > < if she gave a friend a present — and this must have happened every day, for she was generous beyond the dreary bounds of common sense — Osbert Sitwell > < such a kindly, smiling, tender, gentle, generous heart of her own, as won the love of everybody who came near her — W.M.Thackeray > bountiful suggests lavish, abundant, and unremitting giving or providing < spare not now to be bountiful, call your poor to regale with you … give your gold to the hospital, let the weary be comforted, let the needy be banqueted — Alfred Tennyson > bounteous has about the same suggestion as bountiful but seems somewhat less likely to be applied to persons < the bounteous yields of cotton, alfalfa, small grains, sorghums, melons, lettuce, dates, and citrus fruits for which the state is noted — American Guide Series: Arizona > openhanded suggests free and unguarded generosity; its antonym is closefisted < openhanded to all appeals for charity > munificent may suggest princely or lordly lavishness and richness in giving < had been most munificent to his soldiers. He had doubled their ordinary pay. He had shared the spoils of his conquests with them — J.A.Froude > < guaranteed by the United States government in terms of munificent land grants — Irving Stone > handsome may imply either that a gift is large and impressive or that the giver is magnanimous or gracious < final decision to join the Allies was based on their favorable military position … as well as on the handsome prizes which she was offered — C.E.Black & E.C.Helmreich > < this method of dealing with her, if not lavish, was suitable, and in fact handsome — Edith Wharton > II. noun (-s) : one that is liberal: as a. : one that is open-minded or not strict in his observance of orthodox, traditional, or established forms or ways b. usually capitalized : a member or supporter of a Liberal party < Conservatives, Labourites, and Liberals have two whips each in the House of Lords — F.A.Ogg & Harold Zink > < in Australia Liberals and Conservatives coalesced … in the face of the growth of Labour — Barbara & Robert North > < a preference for the Democratic presidential nominee among Liberals in New York > < in most European countries, the Liberals today are a right-wing party — A.M.Schlesinger b. 1917 > c. : an adherent or advocate of liberalism especially in terms of individual rights and freedom from arbitrary authority < writing as a theological liberal > < Manchester Liberals … fought factory legislation as a cardinal sin — Louis Filler > < the liberal's concern for individual or minority rights and freedoms — F.W.Coker > — compare progressive |
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