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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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 After 16 years of rule by Orbán’s illiberal Fidesz party, the electoral playing field had been so tilted against his opponents that some questioned whether an alternative was possible. — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026 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 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
  • Since 2015, a flurry of cases has decided issues as parochial as how much individual athletes are paid out of broadcast revenues and how long student athletes are eligible to play.
    — Sen. Rand Paul OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Back then the age of discovery was at its peak, and startling new information about what had previously been a very parochial planet was flooding into the academies of Europe and the Americas.
    — Ian Tattersall, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of parochial
Adjective
  • But do such experiences meet the narrow definition of attachment?
    — Pascal Vrticka, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2026
  • When the pollsters gave likely voters additional, critical information about both candidates, Bass shot up by 5 points and took a narrow lead over Raman, 40% to 39%, with 21% undecided, according to FM3.
    — James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of narrow
Adjective
  • The woman's attorneys argued that the decision wrongly gives school officials wide latitude to squelch political speech based on their personal ideas of what is vulgar.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There were fraternity brothers exchanging vulgar messages about the accuseron Snapchat, echoing what Willis says happened after she herself was assaulted in 2014.
    — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • Only about a dozen countries have active programs, including small Caribbean island states.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The treasurer’s office says the administrative cost of processing very small payments can exceed their value.
    — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of small
Adjective
  • The killing, often deliberate, of more than twenty thousand children in Gaza injured consciences, not purses, and consciences could be managed with some ritual censuring of Benjamin Netanyahu or his proudly bigoted colleagues.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Over the five hours that follow, the series tracks what led to the tragedy — specifically, his complicated relationship with his resentful, bigoted next-door neighbor, Clive (David Morrissey).
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of bigoted
Adjective
  • But the fashionable-at-the-time nakedness of the YBAs’ desire for money, most completely embodied by Hirst, quickly became crass.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • Stanley’s co-defendant, unsuccessful county commissioner candidate and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bus driver Heather Morrow, was found guilty of the petty offenses and the misdemeanor assault charge.
    — Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Letts makes the most of his brief screen time as a manipulator whose petty genius lies in creating an artificial scarcity for his affections.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of petty
Adjective
  • The government had spent the better part of a year, for instance, decentralizing its political and military bureaucracy so that provincial governors and military commanders could operate without instructions from top leaders.
    — Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Mamdani and Chow swapped notes on dealing with the constraints placed on them by their state and provincial governors, and on their respective battles over renters’ rights and the high costs of living in their cities.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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