Liberty

/ˈlɪb.ɪ.ti/ · noun

Meaning

The condition of being free..

Definitions by Sense

1. The condition of being free.
2. The condition of being free from imprisonment, slavery or forced labour.
3. The condition of being free to act, believe or express oneself as one chooses.
4. Freedom from excessive government control.
5. A short period when a sailor is allowed ashore.
6. (often plural) A breach of social convention.
7. (historical) A local division of government administration in medieval England.
8. (go) An empty space next to a group of stones of the same color.

Example Sentences

The army is here, your liberty is assured.

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])

But as the philosopher Isaiah Berlin sagely pointed out, liberty for wolves means death to lambs.

[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.

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.

The prisoners gained their liberty from an underground tunnel.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

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.

Synonyms for liberty

Antonyms for liberty

Related Words

Word Forms

• liberties
• libertie

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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