classical liberalism

American  

[klas-i-kuhl lib-er-uh-liz-uhm] / ˈklæs ɪ kəl ˈlɪb ər əˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. a political philosophy centered on freedom of the individual and asserting that the role of government is to protect that freedom without intervention in the lives, businesses, or economic or social status of its citizens.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

classical liberalism

"There's nothing particularly wrong with saying there should be more Western canon and classical liberalism in the classroom," said Sitharam.

From Salon ● May 31, 2022

Former Michigan congressman Justin Amash, a Republican-turned-independent-turned-Libertarian, tweeted in mid-January, “I hereby reclaim the word ‘liberal’ for classical liberalism.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 28, 2021

It was, after all, the heyday of classical liberalism, dominated by thinkers like Adam Smith, David Hume, and Thomas Malthus, who valorized an unregulated market.

From Slate ● Jan. 23, 2020

A classical liberalism that only wants to defend its own right to argue — because that’s what John Stuart Mill would want or something — will end up talking only to itself.

From New York Times ● May 26, 2018

These advocates, known as Liberal Republicans because they followed classical liberalism in championing small government, formed their own breakaway party.

From Textbooks ● Dec. 30, 2014