illiberal
See also: illibéral
English
Etymology
From Middle French illibéral, from Latin illiberalis.
Adjective
illiberal (comparative more illiberal, superlative most illiberal)
- Restricting or failing to sufficiently promote individual choice and freedom.
- 2004 December 15, Emanuele Ottolenghi, “Illiberal Europe”, in The Jerusalem Post, ISSN 0021-597X:
- Behind Europe's commitment to liberal democracy lurks an illiberal tradition. Every time freedom has failed in Europe, it is to that tradition - of violent repression, totalitarianism, xenophobia, and intolerance - that Europeans have reverted.
- 2005 February 20, “The Risks in Personal Accounts”, in The Washington Post, ISSN 0190-8286, page B06:
- Unless the administration compels all workers to invest in life cycle accounts — an illiberal but nonetheless sensible idea — this particular danger cannot be eliminated.
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- Narrow-minded; bigoted.
- 1781, William Robertson, The history of Scotland during the reigns of Queen Mary and of King James IV, volume II, page 141:
- Accordingly, that form of Popery, which prevailed in Scotland, was of the moſt bigotted and illiberal kind.
- 1894, John Marshall Barker, “The Planting of Colleges in the New World”, in Colleges in America, page 29:
- While they maintained a denominational character, they were in nowise illiberal, and set up no religious test for entrance.
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- (archaic) Ungenerous, stingy.
- 1901, Justin McCarthy, Justin Huntly McCarthy, A History of the Four Georges and of William IV, volume IV:
- ...the final offer made on the part of the King was that the Queen should have an allowance of 52,000 pounds a year— not, one would have thought, a very illiberal allowance for the daughter of a small German prince...
- 1917, Bertrand Russell, “Chapter II: Capitalism and the Wage System”, in Political Ideals:
- The few who are more fortunate are rendered illiberal by their unjust privileges, and oppressive through fear of the awakening indignation of the masses. From the highest to the lowest, almost all men are absorbed in the economic struggle: the struggle to acquire what is their due or to retain what is not their due.
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- (economics, politics) Not adhering to either liberalism or neoliberalism.
- 1986, Encounter, volume 66, page 58:
- In the general atmosphere of lawlessness and arbitrariness the final outcome may be less harsh and unpleasant than might at first have been expected — though it can be a lot worse if you are an Albanian "irredentist", for example, or a Croatian "separatist", or if you happen to be undergoing trial and sentence in an illiberal republic like Bosnia or Hercegovina.
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Synonyms
- (restricting freedom from authority): See Thesaurus:bossy
- (narrow-minded): See Thesaurus:bigoted
- (miserly): See Thesaurus:stingy
- (economics): mercantilist, protectionist, procontrol
Antonyms
- (all senses): liberal
Related terms
- illiberally
- illiberalism
Translations
restrictive to individual choice and freedom
|
narrow-minded
|
stingy
|
Noun
illiberal (plural illiberals)
- One opposed to liberal principles.
- 2014, Stuart K. Hayashi, Life in the Market Ecosystem:
- Yes, illiberals argue that Poorman's privation bestows upon him the inalienable right to receive assets (coercively expropriated from Richman). These same illiberals usually claim to believe that all tranquil citizens have equal rights.
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German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɪlibeʁaːl/, /ɪlibeˈʁaːl/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -aːl
Adjective
illiberal (strong nominative masculine singular illiberaler, comparative illiberaler, superlative am illiberalsten)
- illiberal
Declension
Positive forms of illiberal
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist illiberal | sie ist illiberal | es ist illiberal | sie sind illiberal | |
| strong declension (without article) | nominative | illiberaler | illiberale | illiberales | illiberale |
| genitive | illiberalen | illiberaler | illiberalen | illiberaler | |
| dative | illiberalem | illiberaler | illiberalem | illiberalen | |
| accusative | illiberalen | illiberale | illiberales | illiberale | |
| weak declension (with definite article) | nominative | der illiberale | die illiberale | das illiberale | die illiberalen |
| genitive | des illiberalen | der illiberalen | des illiberalen | der illiberalen | |
| dative | dem illiberalen | der illiberalen | dem illiberalen | den illiberalen | |
| accusative | den illiberalen | die illiberale | das illiberale | die illiberalen | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) | nominative | ein illiberaler | eine illiberale | ein illiberales | (keine) illiberalen |
| genitive | eines illiberalen | einer illiberalen | eines illiberalen | (keiner) illiberalen | |
| dative | einem illiberalen | einer illiberalen | einem illiberalen | (keinen) illiberalen | |
| accusative | einen illiberalen | eine illiberale | ein illiberales | (keine) illiberalen | |
Comparative forms of illiberal
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist illiberaler | sie ist illiberaler | es ist illiberaler | sie sind illiberaler | |
| strong declension (without article) | nominative | illiberalerer | illiberalere | illiberaleres | illiberalere |
| genitive | illiberaleren | illiberalerer | illiberaleren | illiberalerer | |
| dative | illiberalerem | illiberalerer | illiberalerem | illiberaleren | |
| accusative | illiberaleren | illiberalere | illiberaleres | illiberalere | |
| weak declension (with definite article) | nominative | der illiberalere | die illiberalere | das illiberalere | die illiberaleren |
| genitive | des illiberaleren | der illiberaleren | des illiberaleren | der illiberaleren | |
| dative | dem illiberaleren | der illiberaleren | dem illiberaleren | den illiberaleren | |
| accusative | den illiberaleren | die illiberalere | das illiberalere | die illiberaleren | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) | nominative | ein illiberalerer | eine illiberalere | ein illiberaleres | (keine) illiberaleren |
| genitive | eines illiberaleren | einer illiberaleren | eines illiberaleren | (keiner) illiberaleren | |
| dative | einem illiberaleren | einer illiberaleren | einem illiberaleren | (keinen) illiberaleren | |
| accusative | einen illiberaleren | eine illiberalere | ein illiberaleres | (keine) illiberaleren | |
Superlative forms of illiberal
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist am illiberalsten | sie ist am illiberalsten | es ist am illiberalsten | sie sind am illiberalsten | |
| strong declension (without article) | nominative | illiberalster | illiberalste | illiberalstes | illiberalste |
| genitive | illiberalsten | illiberalster | illiberalsten | illiberalster | |
| dative | illiberalstem | illiberalster | illiberalstem | illiberalsten | |
| accusative | illiberalsten | illiberalste | illiberalstes | illiberalste | |
| weak declension (with definite article) | nominative | der illiberalste | die illiberalste | das illiberalste | die illiberalsten |
| genitive | des illiberalsten | der illiberalsten | des illiberalsten | der illiberalsten | |
| dative | dem illiberalsten | der illiberalsten | dem illiberalsten | den illiberalsten | |
| accusative | den illiberalsten | die illiberalste | das illiberalste | die illiberalsten | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) | nominative | ein illiberalster | eine illiberalste | ein illiberalstes | (keine) illiberalsten |
| genitive | eines illiberalsten | einer illiberalsten | eines illiberalsten | (keiner) illiberalsten | |
| dative | einem illiberalsten | einer illiberalsten | einem illiberalsten | (keinen) illiberalsten | |
| accusative | einen illiberalsten | eine illiberalste | ein illiberalstes | (keine) illiberalsten | |
Further reading
- “illiberal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “illiberal” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon