liberalization
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of liberalization
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.
Vocabulary lists containing liberalization
Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
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The Contemporary Period, c. 1914 to the Present
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Content Summary 6.6: Foundations of Contemporary Globalization
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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.
For decades, the West assumed that participation in global markets would lead China toward political liberalization.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Witness the manner in which trade liberalization in the European Economic Community and its successor, the European Union, brought unparalleled prosperity first to Western Europe and later to the former members of the Warsaw Pact.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 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
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
In mid-December 1995, however, the IMF approved a $600 million standby arrangement and urged Pakistan to move forward with economic liberalization.
From The 1996 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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.
