libertarian

American  

[lib-er-tair-ee-uhn] / ˌlɪb ərˈtɛər i ən /

noun

1. a follower of a political philosophy or party that advocates individual liberty achieved by limiting the power of a central government.

   Whether left- or right-leaning, libertarians generally oppose taxation and support free trade.

2. a person who advocates liberty, especially with regard to thought or conduct.

3. a person who maintains the doctrine of free will (necessitarian ).

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adjective

1. of or relating to a political philosophy or party that advocates individual liberty achieved by limiting the power of a central government.

   libertarian views;

   a libertarian economist.

2. advocating or conforming to the principles of liberty.

3. maintaining the doctrine of free will.

libertarian British  

/ ˌlɪbəˈtɛərɪən /

noun

1. a believer in freedom of thought, expression, etc

2. philosophy a believer in the doctrine of free will Compare determinism

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a libertarian

Other Word Forms

• antilibertarian adjective
• libertarianism noun

Etymology

Origin of libertarian

First recorded in 1780–90; libert(y) + -arian

Example Sentences

He is devoutly religious with a deep libertarian streak, an establishmentarian who distrusts most of today’s establishments, and a traditionalist who is skeptical of the world’s oldest currency.

From The Wall Street Journal

Argentina's national legislature approved President Javier Milei's proposed budget on Friday, a first since the libertarian rose to power two years ago.

From Barron's

Durov, who almost always wears black—except when posing for shirtless photos with six-pack abs—espouses a libertarian view of the world, rejecting alignment with states and centralized power.

From The Wall Street Journal

He calls this insistence “choice-requiring paternalism,” a phrase meant to throw the charge of paternalism back at the libertarians.

From The Wall Street Journal

It includes libertarians and the Christian Social Party.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• autonomous
• constitutional
• egalitarian
• free
• orderly
• popular