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liberty

Pronunciation: /ˈlɪbəti/
Translate liberty | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of liberty

noun (plural liberties)

[mass noun]
  • 1the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s behaviour or political views:compulsory retirement would interfere with individual liberty
  • the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved:people who attacked phone boxes would lose their liberty
  • the power or scope to act as one pleases:individuals should enjoy the liberty to pursue their own preferences
  • Philosophy a person’s freedom from control by fate or necessity.
  • 2 [count noun] (usually liberties) a right or privilege, especially a statutory one:the Bill of Rights was intended to secure basic civil liberties
  • 3 [count noun] informal a presumptuous remark or action:how did he know what she was thinking?—it was a liberty!
  • 4 Nautical shore leave granted to a sailor.

Phrases

at liberty

  • 1not imprisoned: he was at liberty for three months before he was recaptured
  • 2allowed or entitled to do something:he’s not at liberty to discuss his real work

take liberties

  • 1behave in an unduly familiar or easy manner towards someone or something:you’ve taken too many liberties with me
  • 2treat something freely, without strict faithfulness to the facts or to an original:the scriptwriter has taken few liberties with the original narrative

take the liberty

venture to do something without first asking permission:I took the liberty of checking out a few convalescent homes for him

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French liberte, from Latin libertas, from liber 'free'

liberty in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of liberty in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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