liberalization

American  

[lib-er-uh-lahy-zay-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

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Etymology

Origin of liberalization

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

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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

See Examples For:

liberalization

No American president was more passionate about trade liberalization than Ronald Reagan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

To be sure, China’s trajectory was set in motion decades before 9/11 when it began economic liberalization in 1978.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

When economist Joseph Stiglitz was chair of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers, he warned his colleagues in the administration about the potential consequences of rising trade liberalization and deindustrialization.

From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026

Last week, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is in charge of mineral resources in the United States, visited Venezuela to push for a liberalization of the country's mining laws.

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

In February 2001, Bahraini voters   approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the   centerpiece of Sheikh HAMAD's political liberalization program.

From The 2006 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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