noun A political philosophy centered on individual freedom, equal rights, and government by consent, often paired with support for reform.
- In our history class, we studied how liberalism shaped early ideas about personal freedom.
- The professor explained that liberalism stresses equal rights under the law.
- Liberalism as a political movement grew out of the Enlightenment's focus on individual rights.
- Whether some distant cousin really belongs to the extended family of liberalisms is a matter of healthy dispute.
— Timothy Garton Ash, A Liberal Translation (2009)
noun An economic outlook favoring free markets and minimal government interference in trade.
- The textbook describes economic liberalism as a belief in open trade and few restrictions.
- Under economic liberalism, merchants argued that prices should be set by buyers and sellers.
- Economic liberalism pushed the government to lower trade tariffs.
