liberty

¹

[lib-er-tee]

noun

plural

liberties 

1. freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.

2. freedom from external or foreign rule; independence.

3. freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.

4. freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint.

   The prisoner soon regained his liberty.

   Synonyms: liberation

5. permission granted to a sailor, especially in the navy, to go ashore.

6. freedom or right to frequent or use a place.

   The visitors were given the liberty of the city.

   Synonyms: immunity, privilege, license, permission, franchise

7. unwarranted or impertinent freedom in action or speech, or a form or instance of it.

   to take liberties.

8. a female figure personifying freedom from despotism.

Liberty

²

[lib-er-tee]

noun

1. a town in W Missouri.

liberty

/ ˈlɪbətɪ /

noun

1. the power of choosing, thinking, and acting for oneself; freedom from control or restriction

2. the right or privilege of access to a particular place; freedom

3. (often plural) a social action regarded as being familiar, forward, or improper

4. (often plural) an action that is unauthorized or unwarranted in the circumstances

   he took liberties with the translation

5. 1. authorized leave granted to a sailor

   2. ( as modifier )

      liberty man

      liberty boat

6. free, unoccupied, or unrestricted

7. to be overfamiliar or overpresumptuous (with)

8. to venture or presume (to do something)

Word History and Origins

Origin of liberty¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English liberte, from Middle French, from Latin lībertāt-, stem of lībertās, equivalent to līber “free” + -tās -ty ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of liberty¹

C14: from Old French liberté, from Latin lībertās, from līber free

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at liberty,

   1. free from captivity or restraint.

   2. unemployed; out of work.

   3. free to do or be as specified.

      You are at liberty to leave at any time during the meeting.

see at liberty; take the liberty of.

Synonym Study

See freedom.

Example Sentences

The comments are the most positive remarks yet by the prime minister about the idea, which is likely to reignite a debate over civil liberties.

From BBC

The Brennan Center for Justice describes the law as “an American tradition that sees military interference in civilian affairs as a threat to both democracy and personal liberty.”

From Salon

“The evidence does not show that the American people have traditionally considered the right to obtain an abortion so fundamental to liberty that it ‘goes without saying’ in the Constitution,” she wrote.

From Salon

During his speech at the Munich Security Conference, Vance cited the conviction of a British army veteran for silently praying outside an abortion clinic as proof that "basic liberties of religious Britons" were under threat.

From BBC

The concern is not that these data integration capabilities exist, but that government agencies could use them in ways that undermine civil liberties without public consent.

From Salon