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neoliberalism

American  
[nee-oh-lib-er-uh-liz-uhm, -lib-ruh-] / ˌni oʊˈlɪb ər əˌlɪz əm, -ˈlɪb rə- /

noun

  1. a faction of the liberal political movement that strongly supports free-market capitalism as the means for societal and human progress.


neoliberalism British  
/ ˌniːəʊˈlɪbərəˌlɪzəm, -ˈlɪbrəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. a modern politico-economic theory favouring free trade, privatization, minimal government intervention in business, reduced public expenditure on social services, etc

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of neoliberalism

First recorded in 1895–1900; neo- + liberalism


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The 20th-century culture business produced “profound” popular art even though its contracts were exploitative beyond the dreams of neoliberalism and its middlemen were often crooks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

The brave new world that Berg describes offers a critique of neoliberalism that’s downright sadistic.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2022

In a sense, she forecasts the emergence of neoliberalism and what I and some scholars call biocapitalism, which is the commodification of the body itself down to the cellular level.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 25, 2022

I want to ask you about a piece you wrote for the Atlantic about neoliberalism that includes some thoughts about technology.

From Slate ● Nov. 11, 2022

One article on movement-building suggests that the global success of neoliberalism could provide a useful template for how EA can become more influential.

From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2022

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