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  • On Liberty
    On Liberty
    noun
    a treatise (1859) by John Stuart Mill on the rights of the individual within the state.
  • “On Liberty”
    “On Liberty”
    (1859) An essay by John Stuart Mill in defense of the liberal idea of political freedom. Mill takes a firm position that the state may interfere with the freedom of individuals only to protect other individuals; the person's “own good” is not a sufficient reason.

On Liberty

American  

noun

  1. a treatise (1859) by John Stuart Mill on the rights of the individual within the state.


“On Liberty” Cultural  
  1. (1859) An essay by John Stuart Mill in defense of the liberal idea of political freedom. Mill takes a firm position that the state may interfere with the freedom of individuals only to protect other individuals; the person's “own good” is not a sufficient reason.


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:

Warnings about a "chilling effect" on free speech date back at least as far as the publication of John Stuart Mill's famous essay, On Liberty, in 1859.

From BBC Apr. 5, 2024

John Stuart Mill’s work On Liberty popularized and adapted this idea so that it could be implemented within representative governments.

From Textbooks Jun. 15, 2022

In his philosophical treatise "On Liberty," Mill notes that action cannot be as free as speech.

From Salon Jan. 18, 2021

On Liberty by John Stuart Mill I read this as an A-level student and it blew me away.

From The Guardian May 23, 2020

In 1857 were published two volumes of the "Dissertations and Discussions," consisting solely of printed articles, the famous essay "On Liberty," and the "Thoughts on Parliamentary Reform."

From John Stuart Mill; His Life and Works Twelve Sketches by Herbert Spencer, Henry Fawcett, Frederic Harrison, and Other Distinguished Authors by Henry Fawcett

At one point, Olof and Elizabeth read Plato’s Republic and Mill’s “On Liberty” together.

From The New Yorker Dec. 31, 2018

She found herself quoting John Stuart Mill’s “On Liberty” to students, preaching about the importance of differing views in a democracy.

From Washington Post Oct. 17, 2016

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