Liberia

American  

[lahy-beer-ee-uh] / laɪˈbɪər i ə /

noun

1. a republic in West Africa: founded in 1822 by freeborn and formerly enslaved Black people from the United States. About 43,000 sq. mi. (111,000 sq. km). Monrovia.

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Liberia British  

/ laɪˈbɪərɪə /

noun

1. a republic in W Africa, on the Atlantic: originated in 1822 as a home for freed Afro-American slaves, with land purchased by the American Colonization Society; republic declared in 1847; exports are predominantly rubber and iron ore. Official language: English. Religion: Christian majority, also animist. Currency: dollar. Capital: Monrovia. Pop: 3 989 703 (2013 est). Area: 111 400 sq km (43 000 sq miles)

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Liberia Cultural  

1. Republic in western Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north, the Ivory Coast to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest.

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Discover More

The American Colonization Society began settlement of black Americans, most of them freed slaves, in 1822. Eventually, 15,000 blacks emigrated to Liberia.

A civil war that commenced in 1989 and that lasted until the mid-1990s claimed more than 150,000 lives.

Other Word Forms

• Liberian
  adjective
• anti-Liberian
  adjective
• pro-Liberian
  adjective
• trans-Liberian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Liberia

First recorded in 1825–30; from Latin līber “free” + -ia ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Liberia

Cameroon is part of a growing list of African countries willing to accept US deportees that includes Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea and Liberia.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

He then served five years in the Navy and completed two overseas deployments in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Liberia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

Liberia is a small country tucked between Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast on Africa’s western edge.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

None of the deportees were criminals or facing prosecution in the US or Liberia, Piah said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

In Liberia, a neighbor would always look after her kids if she needed to leave them to run an errand or visit a friend.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John