ILLIBERALISM Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

illiberalism

noun

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌli-zəm

Definition of illiberalism

as in illiberality

stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices They each accused the other of a form of illiberalism.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of illiberalism The signal predicament of our era is the global rise of illiberalism and intolerance. — Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026 Journalist Anne Applebaum has documented how elites accommodate themselves to illiberalism, finding advantage in proximity to power even as institutions decay. — Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026 One of the abiding strengths of any genuinely liberal order—domestic or international—is that within it illiberalism can exist, and do damage, without posing an existential threat to it. — Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 Space warfare, cyber defense, mass migration, corruption, and illiberalism require fluency, adaptability, empathy, and collaboration. — Loree Sutton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for illiberalism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberalism

Noun

And yet, most describe a campus not consumed by bigotry but having a vibrant Jewish community – and a university that has made missteps but seems committed to building something new.

— Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
As a piece of theater, the dialogue between the two men often lands on the heart like a wry, platonic romance — and the moments in which both take a stand against the bigotry of some of Seastone’s callers are suddenly and acutely poignant.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of bigotry

Noun

In 1932, Carlos (Milo Quifes) is a young man in Grenada at a time when Spain is lurching uncomfortably towards an ever-increasing spiteful intolerance of homosexuality.

— Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Paying attention to which foods trigger certain symptoms may help identify potential food sensitivities or intolerances, LaValle noted.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of intolerance

Noun

When authenticity becomes uncompromising, candor turns belligerent, consistency becomes rigid, or principled decision-making morphs into dogmatism, even the best intentions can backfire.

— Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
By staying so close to black metal’s core sound, Marchenko does more to undermine the dogmatism—both racial and aesthetic—of Vikernes and his ilk than a more obviously experimental project might.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026

Definition of dogmatism

Noun

Of course, one is inevitably loaded with expectations and prejudices, but the ideal of letting the work teach you how to consider it, as the philosopher Stanely Cavell counseled, is a useful starting point.

— Lola Seaton, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Misty is a long-ago Emmy winner whose career has slipped through her fingers, in part because of reckless behavior on and off the set and and in part because of racist and ageist prejudices in casting.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of prejudice

Noun

Recruitment materials provided by the district promoted confidence-building and leadership activities, including confronting bias and challenging stereotypes.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Then, entities like White Circle could possibly form a coalition to help detect AI threats in real time, without suffering from biases.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of bias

Noun

That narrow-mindedness is immediately apparent when Nick asks his congregation to help the group of unhoused people, a little over a dozen souls or so, who live in a makeshift camp on the edge of town.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
Mann loves a man with an obsession, but this sentiment is about expanding that narrow-mindedness to make space in our lives for others.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026

Definition of narrow-mindedness

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“Illiberalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberalism. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of illiberalism

noun

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