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

The U.S. has begun deporting immigrants to Liberia, officials in the West African country said, part of President Trump’s wider plan to send migrants to third-party countries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Piah referenced how Liberia had been founded as a nation in the early 19th Century as a settlement for former slaves and freed black people from the United States and the Caribbean.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Ultimately, about 15,000 black Americans sailed back to Africa, most of them going to Liberia in West Africa, which was planned and founded as a homeland for emancipated American slaves.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis