libertarian
[lib-er-tair-ee-uh n]
- a person who advocates liberty, especially with regard to thought or conduct.
- a person who maintains the doctrine of free will (distinguished from necessitarian).
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Origin of libertarian
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for libertarianism
Contemporary Examples
He offered his thoughts on President Obama, libertarianism and the importance of voting.
The point of libertarianism is to limit (or, Inshallah, diminish) the size, power, and expense of government.
To somehow claim him as a hero for libertarianism beggars belief.
Funny, but his libertarianism does not extend to giving a woman the right to decide whether to have an abortion.
We have seen the expansion of libertarianism over the past several years.
libertarian
- a believer in freedom of thought, expression, etc
- philosophy a believer in the doctrine of free willCompare determinism
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- of, relating to, or characteristic of a libertarian
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Word Origin
C18: from liberty
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for libertarianism
libertarian
n.
1789, "one who holds the doctrine of free will" (opposed to necessitarian), from liberty (q.v.) on model of unitarian, etc. Political sense of "person advocating liberty in thought and conduct" is from 1878. As an adjective by 1882. U.S. Libertarian Party founded in Colorado, 1971.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper