liberty

noun

ˈli-bər-tē How to pronounce liberty (audio)
Definition of libertynext
1
as in choice
the power, right, or opportunity to choose he doesn't want to go to the sales conference, but he doesn't have that liberty

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in autonomy
the state of being free from the control or power of another the hope that the country's first-ever elections will usher in a new era of liberty and respect for the rule of law

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word liberty different from other nouns like it?

The words freedom and license are common synonyms of liberty. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

When could freedom be used to replace liberty?

In some situations, the words freedom and liberty are roughly equivalent. However, freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When is it sensible to use license instead of liberty?

Although the words license and liberty have much in common, license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

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 liberty During the French Revolution, lindens were among the tens of thousands of trees planted across the country to symbolize liberty. — Kendra Nordin Beato, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2026 Some advocates see differently than Alito While many religious liberty advocates openly share Alito's concerns, some have voiced a different view of the current state of affairs. — ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026 Take the quiz here … LISTEN Tune in as the Supreme Court weighs major battles over gun rights, religious liberty, climate policy, and election laws that could reshape the legal landscape. — FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 McCarthy does take some liberties by occasionally stepping away from the conference sessions to show us the participants in a more relaxed mode, speaking off the cuff, sometimes even arguing in more direct fashion. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for liberty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberty
  1. choice
  2. autonomy
  3. option
  4. freedom
  5. preference
  6. sovereignty
  7. independence
  8. independency
Noun
  • As private longing collides with honor and social codes, each character has to reckon with what their choices cost.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The choices are housed in the Atelier Vivier MTO cabinet, a silver console containing the available materials and hardware, while a digital component allows clients to visualize combinations before production begins.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of choice
Noun
  • The problem, Snegovaya said, is that achieving military autonomy for Europe and Ukraine is extremely difficult in the short term, and Europe has been slow to develop the necessary capabilities.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026
  • CoreMotion is intended to address this integration challenge by providing a common control layer between autonomy software and vehicle hardware.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of autonomy
Noun
  • The Air Force wants CCAs to increase the number of aircraft available for a mission while giving pilots additional sensing, targeting, and engagement options.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In exchange, users are given a smaller pool of options in place of endless swiping.
    — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of option
Noun
  • The row reached the competition jury’s press conference the day after the opening ceremony, where a reporter raised the question of historical fact and creative freedom.
    — Ophélie Surcouf, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The efforts by Huawei and other Chinese chipmakers to squeeze more performance out of less sophisticated hardware are impressive—but the results are still workarounds compared with the freedom Nvidia or AMD have.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of freedom
Noun
  • And limiting the ongoing growth in average EV battery capacity—driven by preferences for longer range and larger vehicles—could reduce demand by another 23 percent compared to the current trend.
    — Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • But Strategy’s latest purchase shows the company is continuing to build its holdings despite the market’s swings, in line with executive chairman Michael Saylor’s long-standing preference for holding Bitcoin.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of preference
Noun
  • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made a final appeal to voters considering a path toward independence in his home province of Alberta on Friday, warning that a referendum is a dangerous gamble at a time of growing threats to Canada’s sovereignty.
    — Rob Gillies, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The practical reason for this is to ensure that European customers have full sovereignty over software, algorithms, data, and hardware.
    — David Szondy October 15, New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sovereignty
Noun
  • Bringing these creative brands together, giving producers access to a broader pool of talent, IP and resources, while preserving their independence is what differentiates Mediawan.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The higher the required SIL, the greater the required risk reduction and the more demanding the design, verification and independence of the safety function.
    — Gregory Shahnovsky, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of independence
Noun
  • Yet the careful reader will appreciate the significance of the Puritan Cromwell’s independency.
    — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2021
  • His seemingly daily attacks on freedom of speech, the independency of the judiciary, the right to vote and other pillars of our constitutional system are bolstered by an intensely loyal fan base.
    — Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2020
Definition of independency

Phrases Containing liberty

Browse Nearby Words

libertinism
liberty
libidinous
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Cite this Entry

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

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