liberty en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- [ˈlɪbɚɾɪi̯] t-flapping
- (US) audio
- /ˈlɪbɚti/ without t-flapping
- [ˈlɪbətʰɪi̯] (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈlɪbəti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈlɪbɚtʰɪi̯] without t-flapping
- [ˈlɪbəɾɪi̯] t-flapping
- [ˈlɪbətʰɪi̯] without t-flapping
- /ˈlɪbɚɾi/ t-flapping
- /ˈlɪbəti/ without t-flapping
- /ˈlɪbəɾi/ t-flapping
Etymology
From Middle English liberte, from Old French liberté, from Latin libertas (“freedom”), from liber (“free”); see liberal.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) The condition of being free.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal"^([sic])
1863 November 19, Abraham Lincoln, Dedicatory Remarks (Gettysburg Address)^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address_(Nicolay_draft)), near Soldiers' National Cemetery, →LCCN, Nicolay draft, page 1:The army is here, your liberty is assured.
But as the philosopher Isaiah Berlin sagely pointed out, liberty for wolves means death to lambs.
2010, Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway, quoting Isaiah Berlin, chapter 5, in Merchants of Doubt:[Edmund] Burke continued to fight for liberty later on in life. He backed Americans in their campaign for freedom from British taxation. He supported Catholic freedoms and freer trade with Ireland, in spite of his constituents’ ire. He wanted more liberal laws on the punishment of debtors.
2014 July 5, “Freedom fighter”, in The Economist, volume 412, number 8894:Now liberal cultural power has increased, the ACLU doesn’t seem very interested in the liberties of non-progressives anymore, and Dr. Seuss sells as pricey samizdat.
2021 March 7, Ross Douthat, “Do Liberals Care if Books Disappear?”, in The New York Times:
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(countable, uncountable) The condition of being free from imprisonment, slavery or forced labour.
The prisoners gained their liberty from an underground tunnel.
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(countable, uncountable) The condition of being free to act, believe or express oneself as one chooses.
I'd gie my ſhoon frae aff my feet, / To taſte ſic fruit, I ſwear, man. / Syne let us pray, auld England may / Sure plant this far-famed tree, man; / And blythe we'll ſing, and hail the day / That gave us liberty, man.
1869, Robert Burns, “The Tree of Liberty”, in Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, volume III (Posthumous Poems), Kilmarnock, Scotland: […] James M‘Kie, →OCLC, page 360:Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
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(countable, uncountable) Freedom from excessive government control.
The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.
2012 December 14, Simon Jenkins, “We mustn't overreact to North Korea boys' toys”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 2, page 23:
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(countable, uncountable) A short period when a sailor is allowed ashore.
We're going on a three-day liberty as soon as we dock.
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(countable, often, plural, uncountable) A breach of social convention.
You needn't take such liberties.
- (countable, historical, uncountable) A local division of government administration in medieval England.
- (countable, qualifier:go, uncountable) An empty space next to a group of stones of the same color.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| libertie | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| liberties | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
person deprived of liberty · take the liberty · liberty pole · liberty sandwich · liberty steak · liberty taker · Liberty County · religious liberty · at liberty · liberty measles · Cinderella liberty · liberty of the press · libertyless · liberty cabbage · antiliberty · liberty spike · cyberliberty · civil liberty · liberty bond · indecent liberty · liberty cap · cap of liberty · illiberty · liberty of indifference · liberty man · liberty bodice · liberty of speech · liberty sausage · take liberties · liberty loan · liberty ship · Liberty Grove · liberty of conscience
Relateds
liberticidal · libertine · libertarianism · liberalism · liberate · liberticide · libertarian · liberal
Synonyms
Translations (111)
uk свобо́да (condition of being free) · hak 自由 (condition of being free) · my လွတ်လပ်ခွင့် (condition of being free) · hy ազատություն (condition of being free) · alt эркин (condition of being free) · da frihed (condition of being free) · jam libati (condition of being free) · nb frihet (condition of being free) · yue 自由 (condition of being free) · ro slobod (condition of being free) · km សេរីភាព (condition of being free) · lo ອິດສະຫຼະພາບ (condition of being free) · uk ві́льність (condition of being free) · crh azatlıq (condition of being free) · he חרות (condition of being free) · nn fridom (condition of being free) · th เสรีภาพ (condition of being free) · pl swoboda (condition of being free) · af vryheid (condition of being free) · ug ئەركىنلىك (condition of being free) · az azadlıq (condition of being free) · cop ⲙⲉⲧⲣⲉⲙϩⲉ (condition of being free) · ko 자유 (condition of being free) · mk слобода (condition of being free) · sv frihet (condition of being free) · it libertà (condition of being free) · wuu 自由 (condition of being free) · vi khí (go terminology) · am ነፃነት (condition of being free) · uz erk (condition of being free) · bn স্বাধীনতা (condition of being free) · uz hurlik (condition of being free) · ky боштондук (condition of being free) · vi tự do (condition of being free) · uz erkinlik (condition of being free) · sq liri (condition of being free) · gl liberdade (condition of being free) · sh слобо̀да (condition of being free) · fax libertai (condition of being free) · tr özgürlük (condition of being free) · bn আজাদি (condition of being free) · tt азатлык (condition of being free) · got 𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌾𐌴𐌹 (condition of being free) · ml സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം (condition of being free) · eu askatasun (condition of being free) · ga saoirse (condition of being free) · kmr azadî (condition of being free) · lv brīvība (condition of being free) · cdo 自由 (condition of being free) · az hürriyət (condition of being free) · be свабо́да (condition of being free) · yua jáalkʼabil (condition of being free) · uz ozodlik (condition of being free) · dng зыю (condition of being free) · hu szabadság (condition of being free) · cy rhyddid (condition of being free) · ht libète (condition of being free) · bg свобода́ (condition of being free) · pl wolność (condition of being free) · kk бостандық (condition of being free) · sl svoboda (condition of being free) · nan-hbl 自由 (condition of being free) · ca llibertat (condition of being free) · eo libereco (condition of being free) · kk еркіндік (condition of being free) · tk erkinlik (condition of being free) · pt liberdade (condition of being free) · ja 自由 (condition of being free) · es libertad (condition of being free) · uz hurriyat (condition of being free) · ur آزادی (condition of being free) · xfa 𐌋𐌏𐌉𐌚𐌉𐌓𐌕𐌀𐌔 (condition of being free) · cmn 自由 (condition of being free) · kk ерік (condition of being free) · tg озодӣ (condition of being free) · ky эркиндик (condition of being free) · ar حُرِيَّة (condition of being free) · mn эрх чөлөө (condition of being free) · ast llibertá (condition of being free) · be во́льнасць (condition of being free) · ja 呼吸点 (go terminology) · fi vapaus (condition of being free) · de Freiheit (condition of being free) · fa آزادی (condition of being free) · sk sloboda (condition of being free) · el ελευθερία (condition of being free) · io libereso (condition of being free) · ky эрк (condition of being free) · izh vapaisus (condition of being free) · ky азаттык (condition of being free) · la lībertās (condition of being free) · is frelsi (condition of being free) · tr hürriyet (condition of being free) · nl vrijheid (condition of being free) · zh 气 (go terminology) · hi आज़ादी (condition of being free) · ro libertate (condition of being free) · got 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌰𐌻𐍃 (condition of being free) · fr liberté (condition of being free) · cs svoboda (condition of being free) · gd saorsa (condition of being free) · tt ирек (condition of being free) · kk азаттық (condition of being free) · ka თავისუფლება (condition of being free) · ru свобо́да (condition of being free) · tk azatlyk (condition of being free) · grc ἐλευθερία (condition of being free) · lt laisvė (condition of being free) · sh slobòda (condition of being free) · et vabadus (condition of being free) · za swyouz (condition of being free)