liberty
//ˈlɪbəti//
Forms
- Plural
- liberties
Definitions
1.The condition of being free.
- The army is here, your liberty is assured.
- But as the philosopher Isaiah Berlin sagely pointed out, liberty for wolves means death to lambs.
- Now liberal cultural power has increased, the ACLU doesn’t seem very interested in the liberties of non-progressives anymore, and Dr. Seuss sells as pricey samizdat.
2.The condition of being free from imprisonment, slavery or forced labour.
- The prisoners gained their liberty from an underground tunnel.
3.The condition of being free to act, believe or express oneself as one chooses.
- Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
4.Freedom from excessive government control.
- The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2402
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English liberte
From Old French liberté
From Latin libertas (“freedom”)
From liber (“free”); see liberal.