Liberalism - Definitions from Dictionary.com

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

lib·er·al·ism

Audio Help [lib-er-uh-liz-uh

m, lib-ruh-] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	the quality or state of being liberal, as in behavior or attitude.

a political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government, nonviolent modification of political, social, or economic institutions to assure unrestricted development in all spheres of human endeavor, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties.

3.	(sometimes initial capital letter) the principles and practices of a liberal party in politics.

4.	a movement in modern Protestantism that emphasizes freedom from tradition and authority, the adjustment of religious beliefs to scientific conceptions, and the development of spiritual capacities.

[Origin: 1810–20; liberal + -ism

]

—Related forms

lib·er·al·ist, noun, adjective

lib·er·al·is·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Liberalism

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

lib·er·al·ism Audio Help (lĭb'ər-ə-lĭz'əm, lĭb'rə-) Pronunciation Key
n.

The state or quality of being liberal.
1. A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual and favoring civil and political liberties, government by law with the consent of the governed, and protection from arbitrary authority.
2. often Liberalism The tenets or policies of a Liberal party.
3. A 19th-century Protestant movement that favored free intellectual inquiry, stressed the ethical and humanitarian content of Christianity, and de-emphasized dogmatic theology.
4. A 19th-century Roman Catholic movement that favored political democracy and ecclesiastical reform but was theologically orthodox.
An economic theory in favor of laissez-faire, the free market, and the gold standard.
Liberalism
1. A 19th-century Protestant movement that favored free intellectual inquiry, stressed the ethical and humanitarian content of Christianity, and de-emphasized dogmatic theology.
2. A 19th-century Roman Catholic movement that favored political democracy and ecclesiastical reform but was theologically orthodox.

lib'er·al·ist n., lib'er·al·is'tic (-lĭs'tĭk) adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

liberalism
noun
1.	a political orientation that favors social progress by reform and by changing laws rather than by revolution
2.	an economic theory advocating free competition and a self-regulating market

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
liberalism

In the twentieth century, a viewpoint or ideology associated with free political institutions and religious toleration, as well as support for a strong role of government in regulating capitalism and constructing the welfare state.

[Chapter:] World Politics

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Liberalism

Lib"er*al*ism\ (-[i^]z'm), n. [Cf. F. lib['e]ralisme.] Liberal principles; the principles and methods of the liberals in politics or religion; specifically, the principles of the Liberal party.

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