illiberal

adjective

(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-b(ə-)rəl How to pronounce illiberal (audio)
Definition of illiberalnext
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

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 illiberal This election could reshape not just Hungary but signal a broader European rejection of the illiberal, nationalist movements Orbán inspired among the global far-right. — Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026 Scholars of comparative authoritarianism have long identified the selective application of harsh criminal penalties as a hallmark of illiberal governance. — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026 As Orbán over the past decade took a forceful stance against migrants and refugees and proclaimed himself Europe's champion of illiberal Christian democracy, Budapest became a magnet for American conservatives. — Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026 The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberal
  1. parochial
  2. narrow
  3. vulgar
  4. small
  5. bigoted
  6. crass
  7. petty
  8. provincial
Adjective
  • Several residents who spoke at the meetings characterized the opposition as a vocal minority of residents who have fixated on a few mostly parochial issues.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2026
  • All but one, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, were either parochial or had some religious affiliation.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 25 July 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • Enclosed by a network of 13th-century walls, the narrow streets of old York host myriad awe-inspiring relics from its pre-industrial past, perhaps the most famous being York Minster, one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals anywhere.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The noun developed later for something removed or separated—hence a narrow strip of land, cloth, or material.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • But the school’s dress code prohibits messages that are lewd, indecent, vulgar or profane.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Lonnie is loud, obnoxious, and vulgar in ways that rankle traditional golfers.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • The merch was originally made for OpenAI employees to purchase on an internal site, but the team decided to make a small capsule collection available to the public.
    — T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Rival online retailers Ozon and Yandex Market use smaller depots spread over a wider network.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The league is clearly consumed by athletes with bigoted, demeaning views of white women.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • His fortunes started to change in his mid-50s, when he was cast in the 2008, off-Broadway revival of Sarah Kane’s audacious Blasted, as a bigoted and predatory tabloid writer.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • To put it in its crassest terms, the story needs to come before the reporter.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a crass and charismatic oil executive who’s called upon to help save the world after his company nearly destroys it.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 13 July 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • And yet the office—its smells and politics, its grievances petty, existential, or edifying—must have made an impression.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Look no further for a wake up call than these three actors representing House Hightower, powerful and imposing in their own right, but just as catty and petty as the Lannisters at the end of the day.
    — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • The insecurity has forced some health and aid workers to leave remote Ebola hot spots for the relative safety of the provincial capital, Bunia.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • It was announced a few months after the 2017 provincial election that, with the support of the Green Party, empowered the New Democratic Party.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of provincial

Browse Nearby Words

ill-humored
illiberal
illiberalism
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Cite this Entry

“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberal. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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