liberally
Americanadverb
-
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.
-
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.
-
in large amounts; generously; abundantly.
Sprinkle liberally with paprika, sea salt, and chili oil.
-
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.
-
in the liberal arts.
What does it mean to be liberally educated in 21st-century America?
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of liberally
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.
She spoke at a Democratic women’s meeting; then to a chapter of the group Drinking Liberally, part of the Living Liberally umbrella organization.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
Liberally brush the spread on each cut side of the potato slices.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2017
Liberally adapted from the Hemingway novel, the film Howard Hawks would cement Bogart as a romantic lead after “Casablanca.”
From New York Times • Aug. 13, 2014
Liberally peopled with the “legendary” and the “famed,” the book is overwhelmed by its author’s desire to represent those most important to him as outsize.
From Washington Post
Liberally mixed through the whole, though, were the ordinary onlookers, many of them young girls.
From World's War Events, Vol. II by Reynolds, Francis J. (Francis Joseph)
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.
