Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

liberally

American  
[lib-er-uh-lee, lib-ruh-lee] / ˈlɪb ər ə li, ˈlɪb rə li /

adverb

  1. in a way that is favorable to progress or reform, or that reflects the views of a political party advocating this.

    He voted a lot more liberally than he campaigned, which may have had something to do with his reelection loss.

  2. in a way that is not bound by traditional or conventional ideas or values, especially prejudice or bigotry.

    Our goal is to be an intentionally open, intellectual, and liberally inclusive community.

  3. in large amounts; generously; abundantly.

    Sprinkle liberally with paprika, sea salt, and chili oil.

  4. in a way that is not strict, literal, or rigorous.

    This charter shall be liberally and broadly construed in favor of allowing the city to exercise its power.

    The story was liberally adapted from a popular Chinese folk tale.

  5. in the liberal arts.

    What does it mean to be liberally educated in 21st-century America?


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of liberally

liberal ( def. ) + -ly

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:

State laws on the subject vary considerably, with some prohibiting commercial surrogacy and others liberally permitting it and even issuing parentage orders before birth.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

In performance and on recordings, she’s also drawn liberally from the past century or so.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

"We applied it liberally to the leg just to try and get it as slippery as possible to help it to come out. It made all the difference."

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

Drawing liberally from fashion, art history and everyday life, she often dresses the subjects of her portraits in puffer jackets — garments she wears herself during the cold winters of Granada, Spain, where she lives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

Smearing the grease liberally on top of the third step, Foremole inserted the flat metal tip against the base of the fifth step.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training