illiberal
adjective
il·lib·er·al
(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-b(ə-)rəl 
: not liberal: such as
a
: opposed to political liberalism
especially
: restricting individual rights and freedoms
Her latest book … looks at how illiberal leaders use propaganda, corruption, violence and machismo … —
University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii Authoritarian or hybrid regimes, no matter how illiberal, will still be treated as legitimate if they can provide security for their subjects and spark economic growth. —Robert D. Kaplan
Robert D. Kaplan With the coming of the cold war, many Westerners were struck by the resemblance of Stalin's Russia to Hitler's Germany. Both were illiberal, highly centralized regimes that seemed to fit into the general designation of totalitarian states. —Donald Kagan
Donald Kagan
b
: not broad-minded : bigoted
… used the migrant crisis to stir up racist, illiberal views.—Eoin O'Malley
Eoin O'Malley
c
archaic
: not generous : stingy
… Theobald felt quite good-natured, and sent … even more soup and wine than her usual not illiberal allowance.—Samuel Butler
Samuel Butler
d
archaic
: lacking culture and refinement
The tall gentleman came to meet her, looking very rigid and grave. But it was a rigidity that had no illiberal meaning.—Henry James
Henry JamesDrunkenness, the most illiberal … of our vices, was sometimes capable, in a less civilized state of mankind, of occasioning a battle, a war, or a revolution.—Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
e
archaic
: lacking or permitting a lack of a liberal arts education
illiberal occupations
Examples of illiberal in a Sentence
an illiberal attitude toward sex
an illiberal society that viewed any artistic depiction of the nude as inherently indecent
Recent Examples on the Web
At the same time, Putin cultivated ties with illiberal populists across Europe.
—Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Far from the more value-neutral approach of traditional realism, regime realism, for Brands, means acknowledging the danger in the imperial ambition of autocratic and illiberal countries.
—Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
But once the pressures of war faded, America’s illiberal values reasserted themselves.
—Philip Klinkner, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2025
Second, Africa's declining support for democracy provides a clear opening for illiberal actors.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
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Michael McFaul, The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2025
Far from the more value-neutral approach of traditional realism, regime realism, for Brands, means acknowledging the danger in the imperial ambition of autocratic and illiberal countries.
—Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
But once the pressures of war faded, America’s illiberal values reasserted themselves.
—Philip Klinkner, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2025
Second, Africa's declining support for democracy provides a clear opening for illiberal actors.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Cite this Entry
“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illiberal. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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