liberalize
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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liberalizesimple
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liberalizessimple
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have liberalizedperfect
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has liberalizedperfect
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am liberalizingprogressive
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are liberalizingprogressive
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is liberalizingprogressive
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have been liberalizingperfect progressive
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has been liberalizingperfect progressive
Past
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liberalizedsimple
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had liberalizedperfect
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was liberalizingprogressive
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were liberalizingprogressive
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had been liberalizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of liberalize
Explanation
Liberalize means to make more liberal––as in, less authoritarian and more open. State-run economies might liberalize by opening up industry, free enterprise, and trade. Liberalize can also mean "reform." If you have a society that punishes theft by cutting off a culprit's hand, you could liberalize it by changing the punishment to jail time or other less cruel and unusual punishment.
Vocabulary lists containing liberalize
"A Genetics of Justice" by Julia Alvarez
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lib, liber
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Policy elites on both sides of the Atlantic blithely assumed that engagement with the West would lead China to liberalize.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Friday announced greater freedoms for small businesses across the country, as the communist government takes steps to liberalize the island's economy in the face of a crippling US blockade.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
They grant airlines from both countries the right to operate in each other's countries, liberalize airline regulation and impose safety and security standards.
From Reuters ● Aug. 2, 2023
But they happened amid a nationwide push by manufacturer and restaurant lobbies to liberalize child labor laws in those states and elsewhere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2023
Despite the general reluctance of the bureau to liberalize the Navy's racial policy, there had been all along some manpower experts who wanted to increase the number of specialties open to black sailors.
From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by MacGregor, Morris J.
As China liberalizes, some 5,000 miles away, the constraints relax and Ms. Chang sneaks off to enjoy a little Western decadence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
“These changes continue the long-term trend that liberalizes policies governing gender marker changes on identity documents,” said Jami Taylor, a political science professor at the University of Toledo and an expert on L.G.B.T. politics.
From New York Times ● Jun. 30, 2021
State Superintendent of Education John White says the changes will trim weekly out-of-pocket expenses for most low-income families by 60 percent, liberalizes eligibility rules and will be financed through a federal grant.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 7, 2016
The flow of funds out of China has accelerated recently, and the trend may continue as the government liberalizes capital markets and as Chinese businesses become more international and learn how to game the system.
From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2012
The study is a fascinating one, and as surely broadens and liberalizes as does knowledge on other studies, collegiate not excepted.
From Harper's Round Table, June 4, 1895 by Various
Tobacco sales will also remain under government control while oil and mining operations will be liberalized, subject to state license.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Zelig-like Baranov character — understood to be a liberalized avatar for inner circle strategist Vladislav Surkov — is an interesting mix of cynicism and opportunity.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Rising diagnoses and 2008 amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act liberalized eligibility for accommodations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Attitudes on race, immigration, and gender have liberalized dramatically in recent decades, including among working-class whites.
From Salon ● May 21, 2024
The irksome security provisions of May-Johnson were liberalized, with penalties reduced to maximum fines of $20,000 and prison terms of up to five years.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
South Korea took another step toward liberalizing its financial markets as it introduced round-the-clock trading of its currency.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Legislation liberalizing the sector is expected to sail through parliament, where Rodriguez's socialists have a majority.
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
Meanwhile, Poland’s parliament held a long-awaited debate on liberalizing the country’s restrictive law last month — although many women terminate pregnancies at home with pills mailed from abroad.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2024
Collor was a dashing, liberalizing politician who became Brazil's first democratically elected president in 1989 after a two-decade military dictatorship, but he resigned three years later after the lower house of Congress impeached him.
From Reuters ● May 31, 2023
The manner and form of internal control in Romania remained repressive and essentially Stalinist; only minor liberalizing changes took place over the next several years.
From Area Handbook for Romania by Bernier, Donald W.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
