Synonym Chooser

How is the word liberty different from other nouns like it?

The words freedom and license are common synonyms of liberty. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

When could freedom be used to replace liberty?

In some situations, the words freedom and liberty are roughly equivalent. However, freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When is it sensible to use license instead of liberty?

Although the words license and liberty have much in common, license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of liberty Trump’s shocking berating of Zelenskyy was a huge victory for Vladimir Putin and a defeat for liberty. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 Feb. 2025 Gridley was initially charged in Douglas County court with kidnapping and aggressive indecent liberties with a child. Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2025 Like, here were going to take some creative liberty for the purpose of entertainment and drama, and now those things have actually played out in the real world. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025 The façade was replaced with cypress-wood siding, the roof got an upgrade, and some thoughtful liberties were taken with the USM cabinets in the kitchen. Clio Chang, Curbed, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for liberty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for liberty
Noun
  • Yet the Trump administration remains confident that tariffs are the best choice to expand U.S. manufacturing and attract foreign investment.
    COMPILED BYDEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFFFROM WIRE REPORTS, arkansasonline.com, 4 Mar. 2025
  • This in and of itself seems standard fare for a business choice like this.
    Aamina Inayat Khan, StyleCaster, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • By granting autonomy and ownership over tasks, employees can better manage stress and enhance their sense of accomplishment and contentment.
    Wayne Yu, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Higher levels of autonomy bring the expectation of revenue streams with fatter profit margins, greater flexibility for drivers and safer transportation.
    Detroit News, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • For this reason, chicken may be a better animal protein option for managing cholesterol.
    Johna Burdeos, Health, 5 Mar. 2025
  • One option for the single family homes will start in the high $300,000s and another will start in the low $400,000s.
    Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • President Trump celebrated our military, our sovereignty, our heroes, and a young child battling terminal cancer—symbols of the strength and resilience that define this nation.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Emerging technologies like generative AI are powerfully transformative but demand resilient infrastructure capable of adapting to the evolving data sovereignty landscape.
    Hans Dekkers, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This preference is more popular amongst Millennials (67%) compared to Boomers (37%).
    Gary Drenik, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2023
  • That preference was on display in August last year, when the KMT’s Hsia visited China amid lingering tensions over Pelosi’s visit.
    Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg.com, 7 Feb. 2023
Noun
  • Other democracies will no longer see the United States as a reliable partner in protecting freedom and peace.
    Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The gathering has become a hub for global Bitcoin leaders, technologists, and entrepreneurs to explore Bitcoin adoption, circular economies, and financial freedom.
    Abubakar Nur Khalil, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • If all goes according to plan, Super Heavy will nestle into the launch tower's inviting arms once again, and Ship will fly much of the way around Earth before making a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2025
  • This happens when water in front of the tire builds up faster than the vehicle's weight can push water out of the way.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Oversight Commission are also going to the city’s Police Department for review and investigation, previously raising questions about the true independence of the commission.
    Destiny Torres, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The foreign minister went on to argue that Iran has pursued a different path—one of self-reliance and strategic independence.
    Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Liberty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/liberty. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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