Liberals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A faction that champions personal liberties and egalitarian principles through active governmental involvement
2. Supporters of social reform who prioritize civil liberties and economic equity for all citizens
3. Individuals who promote political and social change based on freedom and equality for everyone

Etymology: "Liberals" is the plural of "liberal," used as a noun for people who support political reform. The adjective reached English from Old French "liberal," which came from Latin "liberalis," meaning "befitting a freeman," itself built on "liber," meaning "free." That root gave English a family of words about freedom and generosity, and the adjective was in use by the 14th century, long before anyone applied it to politics. The political sense is much later. The noun, which names a person rather than a quality, is first recorded only in the 1800s, when the adjective's idea of free-minded, open-handed conduct was turned toward programmes of reform. The plural form therefore names a group of people who share a broad outlook rather than a single party, and its meaning rests on the same root that once described the manners of a free man.

Synonyms: progressives, leftists, reformists, radicals, tolerants

Antonyms: conservatives, traditionalists, reactionaries, rightists, orthodox