noun Uncommon

lib

LIHB

Lib (noun) means Shortened, informal form of "liberation," especially in political or social movements. Example: “The 1970s women's lib movement pushed for equal rights.”

noun

Shortened, informal form of "liberation," especially in political or social movements.

"The 1970s women's lib movement pushed for equal rights."

Shortened form of "library," especially in computing to mean a collection of reusable code.

"The app imports a graphics lib to handle image rendering."

How to use lib

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn informal shortening — meaning either "liberation" (as in "women's lib") or a code "library" in programming.

When to use it

Informal/colloquial in both senses.

Word forms

libbed past tense, libs plural, libs plural, Libs plural, libs singular

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The 1970s women's _____ movement pushed for equal rights.

Etymology

A clipped form of words beginning with "lib-," most often "liberation," "liberal," or "library."

Rhymes for lib

glib

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Frequently asked questions

What does “lib” mean?

The word “lib” means shortened, informal form of "liberation," especially in political or social movements. In plain terms, an informal shortening — meaning either "liberation" (as in "women's lib") or a code "library" in programming.

How do you pronounce “lib”?

“Lib” is pronounced LIHB (/ˈlɪb/ in IPA).

How do you use “lib” in a sentence?

Here is “lib” used in a sentence: “The 1970s women's lib movement pushed for equal rights.”

What part of speech is “lib”?

“Lib” is a noun.

Is “lib” a common word?

“Lib” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “lib” have?

“Lib” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: shortened, informal form of "liberation," especially in political or social movements.

Is "lib" formal or informal English?

"Lib" is an informal, clipped form used in casual speech and writing. In political contexts it shortens "liberation" (as in "women's lib"), while in computing it shortens "library" (a collection of reusable code). Formal writing should spell out the full word.

What does "lib" mean in programming?

In a coding context, "lib" refers to a library — a packaged collection of reusable code, functions, or resources that a program can call on. You'll often see it as a folder name (e.g. "/lib") or a filename prefix in software projects.

What is the difference between "lib" and "liberation" in political usage?

"Lib" is simply an informal shorthand for "liberation," most familiar from phrases like "women's lib" describing the women's liberation movement. The two words mean the same thing; "lib" is just the casual, spoken form.

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