Definition of liberal
adjective
1willing to respect or accept behaviour or opinions different from one’s own; open to new ideas:
liberal views towards divorce
favourable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms:
liberal citizenship laws
(in a political context) favouring individual liberty, free trade, and moderate political and social reform:
a liberal democratic state
(Liberal) relating to Liberals or a Liberal Party, especially (in the UK) relating to the Liberal Democrat party:
the Liberal leader
Theology regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change.
2 [attributive] (of education) concerned with broadening a person’s general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training:
the provision of liberal adult education
3(especially of an interpretation of a law) broadly construed or understood; not strictly literal:
they could have given the 1968 Act a more liberal interpretation
4given, used, or occurring in generous amounts:
liberal amounts of wine had been consumed
(of a person) giving generously:
Sam was too liberal with the wine