personal liberty

American

noun

the liberty of an individual to act with free will except for those restraints imposed by law to safeguard the physical, moral, political, and economic welfare of others.

Etymology

Origin of personal liberty

First recorded in 1840–50

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.

The Fourth Amendment is an essential safeguard of Americans’ privacy and personal liberty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

She was accused of unlawfully violating the personal liberty of Tyler S. Brewer after disclosing sensitive information to him.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

Given that his personal liberty will be at stake, his inability to ever acknowledge his own prior mistakes or admit personal limitations of any kind, Lauro and Blanche will surely have their hands full.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2024

"This was a great step for personal liberty."

From BBC • Oct. 16, 2023

He spent a lot of time with the Haudenosaunee, whose insistence on personal liberty fascinated him.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023