1
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
an illiberal society that viewed any artistic depiction of the nude as inherently indecent
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
some of the more illiberal residents were opposed to having a hospice for AIDS patients in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vulgar
archaic
lacking in refinement or good taste
people who had been scorned as illiberal because they were poor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illiberal
If the United States flouts the rules, authoritarians and other illiberal leaders need no further excuse to break them at will, inflicting horror on their own people and inciting instability beyond their borders.
—
Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
Democracy is in recession in all quarters of the globe, including in the West, where political centrism has been steadily losing ground to illiberal populism.
—Charles A. Kupchan, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
Carl Schmitt, the twentieth century’s giant of illiberal thought, drew his theories from his personal experience living in the Weimar Republic.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Critics of India claim the plots reflect the uniquely illiberal quality of the Modi government.
—Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illiberal 
Sarah Yager, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
Democracy is in recession in all quarters of the globe, including in the West, where political centrism has been steadily losing ground to illiberal populism.
—Charles A. Kupchan, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
Carl Schmitt, the twentieth century’s giant of illiberal thought, drew his theories from his personal experience living in the Weimar Republic.
—Chang Che, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2024
Critics of India claim the plots reflect the uniquely illiberal quality of the Modi government.
—Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for illiberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberal
Adjective
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This may seem like an impossible task in a world where politics is becoming more divisive, foreign policy more parochial, and social media bubbles more impenetrable.—
Harvey Whitehouse,
WIRED,
23 Jan. 2025
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For more than a century, religious education had been deeply entrenched in the state; in Cleveland, the parochial system was one of the largest in the country.—
Alec MacGillis,
ProPublica,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The gap is quite narrow in some places, like Delaware and Maryland, but in places like Kentucky, systemic racial barriers continue to hold people back.—
Ben Berkowitz,
Axios,
17 Feb. 2025
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Last night’s special had a comparatively narrow focus, prioritizing the characters and celebrities that many younger viewers would recognize.—
Esther Zuckerman,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The footage shows Caldwell calling the nearby Packers fans vulgar and sexist names, while taunting the man accompanying her with explicit gestures.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
18 Jan. 2025
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Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, let out multiple outbursts during his first appearance in court since he was arrested over the weekend and accused of making a series of vulgar, threatening online statements at Clark, the Indiana Fever superstar.—
Samira Puskar,
NBC News,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Is what he’s done a small sample size thing or something more?—
James Mirtle,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
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No matter if they’re labeled green, farmers’ or artisans’ markets, the gatherings are a source of one-stop shopping for specialty goods that help patrons kick their cooking up a notch while also supporting small businesses.—
Kari Barnett,
Sun Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Morton agreed to produce Ian’s debut, Society’s Child, the album that would simultaneously propel her to stardom and sacrifice her to bigoted attacks.—
Audra Heinrichs,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
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The only non-active members of that group not in the Hall of Fame are Roger Clemens, who has been linked to performance-enhancing drugs, and Curt Schilling, whose long history of bigoted and inflammatory remarks hurt his standing with voters over the years.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Ak — who was previously accused of rape — was immediately faced with accusations of grooming, later admitting to his crass behavior.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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After a decade as openers for regional musical acts, and only gradually incorporating often crass comedy into their act, Williams and Ree moved to Los Angeles and became regulars at the Comedy Store during the late 1970s.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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What does revoking Biden's security clearance accomplish other than satisfy a petty grievance of a childish man?—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
8 Feb. 2025
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The purview of his catalogue narrowed, focusing on refining a reputation as a petty king in rap and in relationships.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The spokesman, Carlos Hernández, said the bodies of 36 men and 15 women had been sent to a provincial morgue set up for the accident.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
10 Feb. 2025
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The plane, which was contracted by the U.S. Department of Defense, crashed in a rice field about half a mile from a cluster of farmhouses, according to Windy Beaty, a provincial disaster mitigation officer.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
6 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near illiberal
Cite this Entry
“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberal. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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