illiberal

See also: illibéral

English

Etymology

From Middle French illibéral, from Latin illiberalis, equivalent to il- +‎ liberal.

Adjective

illiberal (comparative more illiberal, superlative most illiberal)

1. Restricting or failing to sufficiently promote individual choice and freedom.
   • 2004 December 15, Emanuele Ottolenghi, “Illiberal Europe”, in The Jerusalem Post, →ISSN:

     Behind Europe's commitment to liberal democracy lurks an illiberal tradition. Every time freedom has failed in Europe, it is to that tradition - of violent repression, totalitarianism, xenophobia, and intolerance - that Europeans have reverted.

   • 2005 February 20, “The Risks in Personal Accounts”, in The Washington Post‎^[1], →ISSN, page B06:

     Unless the administration compels all workers to invest in life cycle accounts — an illiberal but nonetheless sensible idea — this particular danger cannot be eliminated.

2. Narrow-minded; bigoted.
   • 1781, William Robertson, The history of Scotland during the reigns of Queen Mary and of King James IV, volume II, page 141:

     Accordingly, that form of Popery, which prevailed in Scotland, was of the moſt bigotted and illiberal kind.

   • 1894, John Marshall Barker, “The Planting of Colleges in the New World”, in Colleges in America, page 29:

     While they maintained a denominational character, they were in nowise illiberal, and set up no religious test for entrance.

3. (archaic) Ungenerous, stingy.
   • 1901, Justin McCarthy, Justin Huntly McCarthy, A History of the Four Georges and of William IV, volume IV:

     ...the final offer made on the part of the King was that the Queen should have an allowance of 52,000 pounds a year— not, one would have thought, a very illiberal allowance for the daughter of a small German prince...

   • 1917, Bertrand Russell, “Chapter II: Capitalism and the Wage System”, in Political Ideals:

     The few who are more fortunate are rendered illiberal by their unjust privileges, and oppressive through fear of the awakening indignation of the masses. From the highest to the lowest, almost all men are absorbed in the economic struggle: the struggle to acquire what is their due or to retain what is not their due.

4. (economics, politics) Not adhering to either liberalism or neoliberalism.
   • 1986, Encounter, volume 66, page 58:

     In the general atmosphere of lawlessness and arbitrariness the final outcome may be less harsh and unpleasant than might at first have been expected — though it can be a lot worse if you are an Albanian "irredentist", for example, or a Croatian "separatist", or if you happen to be undergoing trial and sentence in an illiberal republic like Bosnia or Hercegovina.

Synonyms

• (restricting freedom from authority): See Thesaurus:bossy
• (narrow-minded): See Thesaurus:bigoted
• (miserly): See Thesaurus:stingy
• (economics): mercantilist, protectionist, procontrol

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “all senses”): liberal

Related terms

• illiberally
• illiberalism

Translations

restrictive to individual choice and freedom

• Bulgarian: нетолерантен (bg) (netoleranten)
• French: illibérale (fr)
• Georgian: არალიბერალური (araliberaluri), ანტილიბერალური (anṭiliberaluri)
• German: engherzig (de)
• Greek: ανελεύθερος (el) m (aneléftheros)
• Japanese: 反自由主義的な (han jiyūshugi teki na), 息苦しい (ikigurushii), 窮屈な (ja) (kyūkutsu na), 抑圧的な (yokuatsuteki na)
• Manx: gortagh, pitteogagh, neufeoilt, neufeoiltagh, neughiastyllagh, neuviallagh
• Spanish: iliberal (es)

narrow-minded

• Bulgarian: тесногръд (bg) (tesnogrǎd), ограничен (bg) (ograničen)
• French: intolérant (fr)
• German: engstirnig (de)
• Greek: στενοκέφαλος (el) m (stenokéfalos)
• Japanese: 偏狭な (ja) (henkyō na), 狭量な (ja) (kyōryō na)
• Spanish: intolerante (es)

stingy

• French: ladre (fr)
• German: knauserig (de)
• Greek: φιλάργυρος (el) m (filárgyros)
• Japanese: けちな (ja) (kechi na)

Noun

illiberal (plural illiberals)

1. One opposed to liberal principles.
   • 2014, Stuart K. Hayashi, Life in the Market Ecosystem‎^[2]:

     Yes, illiberals argue that Poorman's privation bestows upon him the inalienable right to receive assets (coercively expropriated from Richman). These same illiberals usually claim to believe that all tranquil citizens have equal rights.

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɪlibeʁaːl/, /ɪlibeˈʁaːl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aːl

Adjective

illiberal (strong nominative masculine singular illiberaler, comparative illiberaler, superlative am illiberalsten)

1. illiberal

Declension

Positive forms of illiberal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist illiberal	sie ist illiberal	es ist illiberal	sie sind illiberal
strong declension (without article)	nominative	illiberaler	illiberale	illiberales	illiberale
	genitive	illiberalen	illiberaler	illiberalen	illiberaler
	dative	illiberalem	illiberaler	illiberalem	illiberalen
	accusative	illiberalen	illiberale	illiberales	illiberale
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der illiberale	die illiberale	das illiberale	die illiberalen
	genitive	des illiberalen	der illiberalen	des illiberalen	der illiberalen
	dative	dem illiberalen	der illiberalen	dem illiberalen	den illiberalen
	accusative	den illiberalen	die illiberale	das illiberale	die illiberalen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein illiberaler	eine illiberale	ein illiberales	(keine) illiberalen
	genitive	eines illiberalen	einer illiberalen	eines illiberalen	(keiner) illiberalen
	dative	einem illiberalen	einer illiberalen	einem illiberalen	(keinen) illiberalen
	accusative	einen illiberalen	eine illiberale	ein illiberales	(keine) illiberalen

Comparative forms of illiberal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist illiberaler	sie ist illiberaler	es ist illiberaler	sie sind illiberaler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	illiberalerer	illiberalere	illiberaleres	illiberalere
	genitive	illiberaleren	illiberalerer	illiberaleren	illiberalerer
	dative	illiberalerem	illiberalerer	illiberalerem	illiberaleren
	accusative	illiberaleren	illiberalere	illiberaleres	illiberalere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der illiberalere	die illiberalere	das illiberalere	die illiberaleren
	genitive	des illiberaleren	der illiberaleren	des illiberaleren	der illiberaleren
	dative	dem illiberaleren	der illiberaleren	dem illiberaleren	den illiberaleren
	accusative	den illiberaleren	die illiberalere	das illiberalere	die illiberaleren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein illiberalerer	eine illiberalere	ein illiberaleres	(keine) illiberaleren
	genitive	eines illiberaleren	einer illiberaleren	eines illiberaleren	(keiner) illiberaleren
	dative	einem illiberaleren	einer illiberaleren	einem illiberaleren	(keinen) illiberaleren
	accusative	einen illiberaleren	eine illiberalere	ein illiberaleres	(keine) illiberaleren

Superlative forms of illiberal

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am illiberalsten	sie ist am illiberalsten	es ist am illiberalsten	sie sind am illiberalsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	illiberalster	illiberalste	illiberalstes	illiberalste
	genitive	illiberalsten	illiberalster	illiberalsten	illiberalster
	dative	illiberalstem	illiberalster	illiberalstem	illiberalsten
	accusative	illiberalsten	illiberalste	illiberalstes	illiberalste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der illiberalste	die illiberalste	das illiberalste	die illiberalsten
	genitive	des illiberalsten	der illiberalsten	des illiberalsten	der illiberalsten
	dative	dem illiberalsten	der illiberalsten	dem illiberalsten	den illiberalsten
	accusative	den illiberalsten	die illiberalste	das illiberalste	die illiberalsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein illiberalster	eine illiberalste	ein illiberalstes	(keine) illiberalsten
	genitive	eines illiberalsten	einer illiberalsten	eines illiberalsten	(keiner) illiberalsten
	dative	einem illiberalsten	einer illiberalsten	einem illiberalsten	(keinen) illiberalsten
	accusative	einen illiberalsten	eine illiberalste	ein illiberalstes	(keine) illiberalsten

Further reading

• “illiberal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “illiberal” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon