liberalization

American  

[lib-er-uh-lahy-zey-shuhn, lib-ruh-] / ˌlɪb ər əˌlaɪˈzeɪ ʃən, ˌlɪb rə- /

especially British, liberalisation

noun

1. the state of being or becoming more favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

   The liberalization of Anglican thought predates the rise of Protestant fundamentalism.

2. the act or process of making something, such as laws or regulations, less restrictive, or the state of being or becoming less restrictive.

   The president has proposed liberalization of the criminal code to allow for a reduction in maximum sentences and the introduction of monetary fines for less severe offenses.

   The government is updating existing contracts with some foreign companies to favor liberalization and free market competition.

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Other Word Forms

• overliberalization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of liberalization

liberaliz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Explanation

Liberalization refers to laws or rules being liberalized, or relaxed, by a government. You might talk about the liberalization of marriage laws in states that allow same-sex marriage. Liberalization came to the English language in 1835, from the word liberal. Literally translated, it means the act of making more liberal, or freer. While liberal is used to refer to more than just politics––you can have liberal parents––liberalization is used only when speaking of economic or social policies or other government regulations.

Example Sentences

For decades, the West assumed that participation in global markets would lead China toward political liberalization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The law's adoption comes a month after US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited the Caribbean nation to push for a liberalization of the mining code.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Rodriguez, who was sworn in Monday as Venezuela’s acting president, had overseen an economic liberalization program over the past several years, whereby Venezuela dismantled its state-planned model and cut generous welfare and social spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

One classic argument for agricultural trade liberalization is to let countries exploit their comparative advantages and grow what they grow best.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2024

Economic growth in 2000 was broad based, putting the government in a good position to pursue its energy market liberalization policies and planned tax cuts.

From The 2001 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency