ZebraWords.com - The Definition of 'Liberty', Synonyms of 'Liberty' & More on 'Liberty'

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)

liberty
    n 1: immunity from arbitrary exercise of authority: political
         independence [syn: autonomy, liberty]
    2: freedom of choice; "liberty of opinion"; "liberty of
       worship"; "liberty--perfect liberty--to think or feel or do
       just as one pleases"; "at liberty to choose whatever
       occupation one wishes"
    3: personal freedom from servitude or confinement or oppression
    4: leave granted to a sailor or naval officer [syn: shore
       leave, liberty]
    5: an act of undue intimacy [syn: familiarity, impropriety,
       indecorum, liberty]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Liberty \Lib"er*ty\ (l[i^]b"[~e]r*t[y^]), n.; pl. Liberties
   (-t[i^]z). [OE. liberte, F. libert['e], fr. L. libertas, fr.
   liber free. See Liberal.]
   1. The state of a free person; exemption from subjection to
      the will of another claiming ownership of the person or
      services; freedom; -- opposed to slavery, serfdom,
      bondage, or subjection.
      [1913 Webster]

            But ye . . . caused every man his servant, and every
            man his handmaid whom he had set at liberty at their
            pleasure, to return, and brought them into
            subjection.                           --Jer. xxxiv.
                                                  16.
      [1913 Webster]

            Delivered fro the bondage of corruption into the
            glorious liberty of the sons of God.  --Bible, 1551.
                                                  Rom. viii. 21.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Freedom from imprisonment, bonds, or other restraint upon
      locomotion.
      [1913 Webster]

            Being pent from liberty, as I am now. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. A privilege conferred by a superior power; permission
      granted; leave; as, liberty given to a child to play, or
      to a witness to leave a court, and the like.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. Privilege; exemption; franchise; immunity enjoyed by
      prescription or by grant; as, the liberties of the
      commercial cities of Europe.
      [1913 Webster]

            His majesty gave not an entire county to any; much
            less did he grant . . . any extraordinary liberties.
                                                  --Sir J.
                                                  Davies.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. The place within which certain immunities are enjoyed, or
      jurisdiction is exercised. [Eng.]
      [1913 Webster]

            Brought forth into some public or open place within
            the liberty of the city, and there . . . burned.
                                                  --Fuller.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. A certain amount of freedom; permission to go freely
      within certain limits; also, the place or limits within
      which such freedom is exercised; as, the liberties of a
      prison.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. A privilege or license in violation of the laws of
      etiquette or propriety; as, to permit, or take, a liberty.
      [1913 Webster]

            He was repeatedly provoked into striking those who
            had taken liberties with him.         --Macaulay.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. The power of choice; freedom from necessity; freedom from
      compulsion or constraint in willing.
      [1913 Webster]

            The idea of liberty is the idea of a power in any
            agent to do or forbear any particular action,
            according to the determination or thought of the
            mind, whereby either of them is preferred to the
            other.                                --Locke.
      [1913 Webster]

            This liberty of judgment did not of necessity lead
            to lawlessness.                       --J. A.
                                                  Symonds.
      [1913 Webster]

   9. (Manege) A curve or arch in a bit to afford room for the
      tongue of the horse.
      [1913 Webster]

   10. (Naut.) Leave of absence; permission to go on shore.
       [1913 Webster]

   At liberty.
       (a) Unconfined; free.
       (b) At leisure.

   Civil liberty, exemption from arbitrary interference with
      person, opinion, or property, on the part of the
      government under which one lives, and freedom to take part
      in modifying that government or its laws.

   Liberty bell. See under Bell.

   Liberty cap.
       (a) The Roman pileus which was given to a slave at his
           manumission.
       (b) A limp, close-fitting cap with which the head of
           representations of the goddess of liberty is often
           decked. It is sometimes represented on a spear or a
           liberty pole.

   Liberty of the press, freedom to print and publish without
      official supervision.

   Liberty party, the party, in the American Revolution, which
      favored independence of England; in more recent usage, a
      party which favored the emancipation of the slaves.

   Liberty pole, a tall flagstaff planted in the ground, often
      surmounted by a liberty cap. [U. S.]

   Moral liberty, that liberty of choice which is essential to
      moral responsibility.

   Religious liberty, freedom of religious opinion and
      worship.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Leave; permission; license.

   Usage: Liberty, Freedom. These words, though often
          interchanged, are distinct in some of their
          applications. Liberty has reference to previous
          restraint; freedom, to the simple, unrepressed
          exercise of our powers. A slave is set at liberty; his
          master had always been in a state of freedom. A
          prisoner under trial may ask liberty (exemption from
          restraint) to speak his sentiments with freedom (the
          spontaneous and bold utterance of his feelings). The
          liberty of the press is our great security for freedom
          of thought.
          [1913 Webster]

3. Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

LIBERTY. Freedom from restraint. The power of acting as one thinks fit, 
without any restraint or control, except from the laws of nature. 
     2. Liberty is divided into civil, natural, personal, and political. 
     3. Civil liberty is the power to do whatever is permitted by the 
constitution of the state and the laws of the land. It is no other than 
natural liberty, so far restrained by human laws, and no further, operating 
equally upon all the citizens, as is necessary and expedient for the general 
advantage of the public. 1 Black. Com. 125; Paley's Mor. Phil. B. 6, c.5; 
Swifts Syst. 12 
     4. That system of laws is alone calculated to maintain civil liberty, 
which leaves the citizen entirely master of his own conduct, except in those 
points in which the public good requires some direction and restraint. When a

man is restrained in his natural liberty by no municipal laws but those 
which are requisite to prevent his violating the natural law, and to promote 
the greatest moral and physical welfare of the community, he is legally 
possessed of the fullest enjoyment of his civil rights of individual 
liberty. But it must not be inferred that individuals are to judge for 
themselves how far the law may justifiably restrict their individual 
liberty; for it is necessary to the welfare of the commonwealth, that the 
law should be obeyed; and thence is derived the legal maxim, that no man may 
be wiser than the law. 
     5. Natural liberty is the right which nature gives to all mankind, of 
disposing of their persons and property after the manner they judge most 
consonant to their happiness, on condition of their acting within the limits 
of the law of nature, and that they do not in any way abuse it to the 
prejudice of other  men. Burlamaqui, c. 3, s. 15; 1 Bl. Com. 125. 
     6. Personal liberty is the independence of our actions of all other 
will than our own. Wolff, Ins. Nat. Sec. 77. It consists in the power of 
locomotion, of changing situation, or removing one's person to whatever 
place one's inclination may direct, without imprisonment or restraint, 
unless by due course of law. 1 Bl. Com. 134. 
     7. Political liberty may be defined to be, the security by which, from 
the constitution, form and nature of the established government, the 
citizens enjoy civil liberty. No ideas or definitions are more 
distinguishable than those of civil and political liberty, yet they are 
generally confounded. 1 Bl. Com. 6, 125. The political liberty of a state is 
based upon those fundamental laws which establish the distribution of 
legislative and executive powers. The political liberty of a citizen is that 
tranquillity of mind, which is the effect of an opinion that he is in 
perfect security; and to insure this security, the government must be such 
that one citizen shall not fear another. 
     8. In the English law, by liberty is meant a privilege held by grant or 
prescription, by which some men enjoy greater benefits than ordinary 
subjects. A liberty is also a territory, with some extraordinary privilege. 
     9. By liberty or liberties, is understood a part of a town or city, as 
the Northern Liberties of the city of Philadelphia. The same as Fanbourg. 
(q.v.)

4. The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906)

LIBERTY, n.  One of Imagination's most precious possessions.

    The rising People, hot and out of breath,
    Roared around the palace:  "Liberty or death!"
    "If death will do," the King said, "let me reign;
    You'll have, I'm sure, no reason to complain."
                                                      Martha Braymance

5. U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000)

Liberty -- U.S. County in Georgia
   Population (2000):    61610
   Housing Units (2000): 21977
   Land area (2000):     519.051635 sq. miles (1344.337505 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    83.465571 sq. miles (216.174828 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    602.517206 sq. miles (1560.512333 sq. km)
   Located within:       Georgia (GA), FIPS 13
   Location:             31.809525 N, 81.538796 W
   Headwords:
    Liberty
    Liberty, GA
    Liberty County
    Liberty County, GA

6. U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000)

Liberty -- U.S. County in Montana
   Population (2000):    2158
   Housing Units (2000): 1070
   Land area (2000):     1429.758528 sq. miles (3703.057430 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    17.435804 sq. miles (45.158524 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1447.194332 sq. miles (3748.215954 sq. km)
   Located within:       Montana (MT), FIPS 30
   Location:             48.550900 N, 111.004866 W
   Headwords:
    Liberty
    Liberty, MT
    Liberty County
    Liberty County, MT

7. U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000)

Liberty -- U.S. County in Texas
   Population (2000):    70154
   Housing Units (2000): 26359
   Land area (2000):     1159.678117 sq. miles (3003.552406 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    16.544828 sq. miles (42.850906 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1176.222945 sq. miles (3046.403312 sq. km)
   Located within:       Texas (TX), FIPS 48
   Location:             30.162001 N, 94.846793 W
   Headwords:
    Liberty
    Liberty, TX
    Liberty County
    Liberty County, TX

8. U.S. Gazetteer Counties (2000)

Liberty -- U.S. County in Florida
   Population (2000):    7021
   Housing Units (2000): 3156
   Land area (2000):     835.865665 sq. miles (2164.882043 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    7.294059 sq. miles (18.891526 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    843.159724 sq. miles (2183.773569 sq. km)
   Located within:       Florida (FL), FIPS 12
   Location:             30.285745 N, 84.883242 W
   Headwords:
    Liberty
    Liberty, FL
    Liberty County
    Liberty County, FL

9. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, MO -- U.S. city in Missouri
   Population (2000):    26232
   Housing Units (2000): 9973
   Land area (2000):     26.952833 sq. miles (69.807515 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.057506 sq. miles (0.148939 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    27.010339 sq. miles (69.956454 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            42032
   Located within:       Missouri (MO), FIPS 29
   Location:             39.240852 N, 94.426502 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, MO
    Liberty

10. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, NE -- U.S. village in Nebraska
   Population (2000):    86
   Housing Units (2000): 39
   Land area (2000):     0.247134 sq. miles (0.640074 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.247134 sq. miles (0.640074 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            26980
   Located within:       Nebraska (NE), FIPS 31
   Location:             40.085028 N, 96.483336 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     68381
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, NE
    Liberty

11. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, NY -- U.S. village in New York
   Population (2000):    3975
   Housing Units (2000): 2071
   Land area (2000):     2.394091 sq. miles (6.200666 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    2.394091 sq. miles (6.200666 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            42224
   Located within:       New York (NY), FIPS 36
   Location:             41.797792 N, 74.742829 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     12754
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, NY
    Liberty

12. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, NC -- U.S. town in North Carolina
   Population (2000):    2661
   Housing Units (2000): 1094
   Land area (2000):     2.606729 sq. miles (6.751397 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.011692 sq. miles (0.030281 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    2.618421 sq. miles (6.781678 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            38100
   Located within:       North Carolina (NC), FIPS 37
   Location:             35.852906 N, 79.571886 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     27298
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, NC
    Liberty

13. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, IL -- U.S. village in Illinois
   Population (2000):    519
   Housing Units (2000): 231
   Land area (2000):     0.374281 sq. miles (0.969383 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.374281 sq. miles (0.969383 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            43133
   Located within:       Illinois (IL), FIPS 17
   Location:             39.879948 N, 91.108137 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     62347
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, IL
    Liberty

14. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, OK -- U.S. town in Oklahoma
   Population (2000):    184
   Housing Units (2000): 72
   Land area (2000):     6.107294 sq. miles (15.817819 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    6.107294 sq. miles (15.817819 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            42860
   Located within:       Oklahoma (OK), FIPS 40
   Location:             35.857244 N, 95.969284 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, OK
    Liberty

15. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, PA -- U.S. borough in Pennsylvania
   Population (2000):    2670
   Housing Units (2000): 1162
   Land area (2000):     1.438024 sq. miles (3.724465 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.060933 sq. miles (0.157816 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1.498957 sq. miles (3.882281 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            43064
   Located within:       Pennsylvania (PA), FIPS 42
   Location:             40.326302 N, 79.856101 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     16930
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, PA
    Liberty

16. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, IN -- U.S. town in Indiana
   Population (2000):    2061
   Housing Units (2000): 916
   Land area (2000):     0.870865 sq. miles (2.255529 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.870865 sq. miles (2.255529 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            43434
   Located within:       Indiana (IN), FIPS 18
   Location:             39.635907 N, 84.928968 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     47353
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, IN
    Liberty

17. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, PA -- U.S. borough in Pennsylvania
   Population (2000):    230
   Housing Units (2000): 95
   Land area (2000):     0.515069 sq. miles (1.334022 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.515069 sq. miles (1.334022 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            43128
   Located within:       Pennsylvania (PA), FIPS 42
   Location:             41.558446 N, 77.103839 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     16930
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, PA
    Liberty

18. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, KS -- U.S. city in Kansas
   Population (2000):    95
   Housing Units (2000): 62
   Land area (2000):     0.257448 sq. miles (0.666787 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    0.257448 sq. miles (0.666787 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            40250
   Located within:       Kansas (KS), FIPS 20
   Location:             37.156211 N, 95.598001 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     67351
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, KS
    Liberty

19. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, SC -- U.S. town in South Carolina
   Population (2000):    3009
   Housing Units (2000): 1404
   Land area (2000):     4.267941 sq. miles (11.053915 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    4.267941 sq. miles (11.053915 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            41380
   Located within:       South Carolina (SC), FIPS 45
   Location:             34.788390 N, 82.694865 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     29657
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, SC
    Liberty

20. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, KY -- U.S. city in Kentucky
   Population (2000):    1850
   Housing Units (2000): 979
   Land area (2000):     1.745621 sq. miles (4.521138 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1.745621 sq. miles (4.521138 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            46072
   Located within:       Kentucky (KY), FIPS 21
   Location:             37.321195 N, 84.930513 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     42539
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, KY
    Liberty

21. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, TN -- U.S. town in Tennessee
   Population (2000):    367
   Housing Units (2000): 181
   Land area (2000):     1.035302 sq. miles (2.681420 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    1.035302 sq. miles (2.681420 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            42040
   Located within:       Tennessee (TN), FIPS 47
   Location:             36.004959 N, 85.972816 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, TN
    Liberty

22. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, TX -- U.S. city in Texas
   Population (2000):    8033
   Housing Units (2000): 3187
   Land area (2000):     35.052161 sq. miles (90.784676 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.355322 sq. miles (0.920280 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    35.407483 sq. miles (91.704956 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            42568
   Located within:       Texas (TX), FIPS 48
   Location:             30.057546 N, 94.796662 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):    
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, TX
    Liberty

23. U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000)

Liberty, MS -- U.S. town in Mississippi
   Population (2000):    633
   Housing Units (2000): 309
   Land area (2000):     2.058135 sq. miles (5.330546 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.009985 sq. miles (0.025861 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    2.068120 sq. miles (5.356407 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            40640
   Located within:       Mississippi (MS), FIPS 28
   Location:             31.160812 N, 90.804002 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     39645
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Liberty, MS
    Liberty

Thesaurus Results for Liberty:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

Lehrfreiheit, OK, a leg up, academic freedom, admission, allowance, assumption, at liberty, authorization, autonomy, blank check, brevet, carte blanche, chance, charter, clear stage, concession, consent, constitutional freedom, copyright, delivery, diploma, diplomatic immunity, discharge, dispensation, emancipation, enfranchisement, exception, exemption, fair field, fair game, familiarity, favor, franchise, free, freedom, freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom of worship, furlough, grant, holiday, hubris, immunity, imposition, independence, indulgence, initiative, lawlessness, leave, leave of absence, legislative immunity, letters patent, liberated, liberation, liberties, liberty abused, license, licentiousness, loose, occasion, okay, opening, opportunism, opportunity, paid holiday, paid vacation, patent, permission, permission to enter, place, prerogative, presumption, presumptuousness, privilege, release, right, room, royal grant, run, sabbatical, sabbatical leave, sabbatical year, scope, self-determination, self-direction, self-government, shore leave, sovereignty, special favor, special permission, stepping-stone, the Four Freedoms, the run of, ticket, ticket of admission, time, time off, unconstrained, undue liberty, unfettered, uninhibited, unrestrained, unrestricted, vacation, vouchsafement, waiver, warrant, weekend

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