freedom from arbitrary or despotic government or control.
freedom from external or foreign rule; independence.
freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice.
freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint.
The prisoner soon regained his liberty.
permission granted to a sailor, especially in the navy, to go ashore.
freedom or right to frequent or use a place.
The visitors were given the liberty of the city.
unwarranted or impertinent freedom in action or speech, or a form or instance of it.
to take liberties.
a female figure personifying freedom from despotism.
the power of choosing, thinking, and acting for oneself; freedom from control or restriction
the right or privilege of access to a particular place; freedom
(often plural) a social action regarded as being familiar, forward, or improper
(often plural) an action that is unauthorized or unwarranted in the circumstances
he took liberties with the translation
authorized leave granted to a sailor
( as modifier )
liberty man
liberty boat
free, unoccupied, or unrestricted
to be overfamiliar or overpresumptuous (with)
to venture or presume (to do something)
See freedom.
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English liberte, from Middle French, from Latin lībertāt-, stem of lībertās, equivalent to līber “free” + -tās -ty 2
Liberty is a kind of freedom, whether it's freedom from tyranny, freedom from confinement, or simply the freedom of choice. The phrase "give me liberty or give me death" is attributed to Patrick Henry, whose 1775 speech persuaded the Virginia colony to raise troops to fight the British in the American Revolutionary War. For sailors and naval officers, liberty means shore leave — a brief vacation on land between voyages. We also use this noun to describe the act of getting a little too familiar or personal with someone, or doing something before we have their approval or permission.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It democratizes constitutional enforcement because it poses the simplest and most urgent question: Does the state have actual grounds to take away this person’s liberty?
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
But he had a distinct view of liberty and justice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
The American experiment in liberty fascinates Jimmy, and his papers and magazines reflected that.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Some of it, probably, was warranted or in the spirited mission of liberty, as some will undoubtedly argue, but far from all of it.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
“To be active: as active as I can. And first I must beg you to set Hannah at liberty, and get somebody else to wait on you.”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Zach Witkoff did not respond to dozens of questions about his father, the Trumps, or World Liberty.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
The SEC and Justice Department dropped or settled cases with key World Liberty investors and partners.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
A public celebration of his life will be held Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills’ Hall of Liberty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Liberty Steel also has a plant in Scunthorpe that is facing closure.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
“To encourage people to follow the food rules and buy Liberty Bonds and such?”
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Kennedy remained open to new rights and liberties.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
A second theme for this Court is vindicating liberties in the Bill of Rights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Opponents, including civil liberties organizations and some religious leaders, counter that the curriculum risks moving beyond the academic study of religion and into religious instruction.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
Civil liberties campaigning group Big Brother Watch slammed the live facial recognition expansion as an "alarming escalation of an intrusive technology".
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
You don’t agree that the question of human rights, of civil liberties, is a matter of vital importance to the African people?
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
