liberal
Generous with ideas
Liberal describes openness to new ideas, tolerance of different views, and willingness to change or reform.
A liberal education exposes students to broad knowledge rather than narrow training.
Liberal also means generous or abundant: a liberal helping of mashed potatoes.
In politics, liberal typically means favoring individual rights, social equality, and government intervention in the economy—the opposite of conservative.
She holds liberal views on social issues. (Capitalized Liberal refers to political parties bearing that name.)
Receptive to different ideas
- broad-mindedReceptive to differing views
- acceptingWilling to receive
- unprejudicedFree from preconceptions
- nonjudgmentalNot forming harsh opinions
permissive · forbearing · lenient · understanding · empathetic · inclusive · flexible · impartial
Existing in great quantity
- profuseExtremely abundant, overflowing
- plentifulExisting in abundance
- copiousExisting in abundance
- ampleFully sufficient, even excessive
generous · bounteous · unstinting · free-flowing · overflowing · extravagant · immoderate · unsparing
Giving to those needing
- magnanimousNoble and forgiving
- munificentExtravagantly generous in giving
- philanthropicDevoted to human welfare
- benevolentDesiring others' welfare
big-hearted · bountiful · unselfish · altruistic · beneficent · kindhearted · humanitarian · gracious
Not firmly secured
wide-ranging · expansive · unrestrained · unbounded · nonliteral · approximate · imprecise · elastic
Study of culture
- artsCreative disciplines collectively
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- well-roundedDeveloped in many areas
- interdisciplinaryCombining distinct fields
Socratic · philosophy · rhetoric · literature · history · civic · enlightenment · intellectual
open-minded
Receptive to different ideas
- broad-mindedReceptive to differing views
- acceptingWilling to receive
- unprejudicedFree from preconceptions
nonjudgmental · permissive · forbearing · lenient · understanding · empathetic · inclusive · flexible · impartial · unbiased
abundant
Existing in great quantity
ample · generous · bounteous · unstinting · free-flowing · overflowing · extravagant · immoderate · unsparing · prodigal
charitable
Giving to those needing
- magnanimousNoble and forgiving
- munificentExtravagantly generous in giving
- philanthropicDevoted to human welfare
benevolent · big-hearted · bountiful · unselfish · altruistic · beneficent · kindhearted · humanitarian · gracious · openhanded
loose
Not firmly secured
relaxed · wide-ranging · expansive · unrestrained · unbounded · nonliteral · approximate · imprecise · elastic · lenient
humanities
Study of culture
- artsCreative disciplines collectively
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- well-roundedDeveloped in many areas
interdisciplinary · Socratic · philosophy · rhetoric · literature · history · civic · enlightenment · intellectual · cultivated
- politicalconservative, moderate, centrist, leftist, rightist
- politicsdemocracy, campaigning, campaigns, democrats, bill
- U.S. PoliticsCongress, senator, representative, president, vice president
- -al adjectivescultural, emotional, environmental, federal, financial
- political ideologiesconservatism, conservative, anarchism, libertarian, socialism
- Democratic PoliticsDemocrat, DNC, donkey, blue state, blue wave
liberalconservative
Cautious about altering customs
right-wing · reactionary · authoritarian · traditionalist · illiberal
liberalstingy
Unwilling to spend freely
miserly · ungenerous · parsimonious · scant · meager
liberalnarrow-minded
Intolerant of differing views
bigoted · intolerant · closed-minded · illiberal · prejudiced
- Statue of LibertyIsland colossus near Manhattan
- Sons of LibertyRevolutionary-era resistance movement
- liberal artsNon-vocational higher education
- at libertyFree from confinement
- take the libertyAct without authorization
- Liberty BellCracked American independence symbol
liberty, deliberate, liberate, liberation, liberated, deliberation, liberally, liberator, liberalism