Origin: OE. Liberte, F. Liberte, fr. L. Libertas, fr. Liber free. See Liberal.
1. The state of a
free face; exemption from subjection to the
will of other claiming
ownership of the
face or services; freedom; opposed to slavery, serfdom, bondage, or subjection. "But ye . . . Caused each
man his manservant, and each
man his handmaid whom he had
set at
liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them
into subjection." (Jer. Xxxiv. 16) "Delivered fro the bondage of corruption
into the nice
liberty of the sons of God." (Bible. Rom. Viii. 21)
2. Freedom from imprisonment, bonds, or another
restraint upon locomotion. "Being pent from liberty, as I am now." (Shak)
3. A privilege conferred by a superior strength; alow granted; leave; as,
liberty given to a
baby to play, or to a witness to
leave a court, and the like.
4. Privilege; exemption; franchise;
immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant; as, the liberties of the commercial
cities of Europe. "His majesty gave not an
entire county to any;
many smaller did he grant . . . Any
extraordinary liberties." (Sir J. Davies)
5. The
seat within which determined immunities are enjoyed, or jurisdiction is exercised. "Brought
forth into some popular or
open seat within the
liberty of the town, and
there . . . Burned." (Fuller)
6. A determined
amount of freedom; alow to go
freely within determined limits; also, the
seat or limits
within which such
freedom is exercised; as, the liberties of a prison.
7. A privilege or
license in violation of the laws of etiquette or propriety; as, to permit, or take, a liberty. "He was repeatedly provoked
into striking those
who had taken liberties with him." (Macaulay)
8. The strength of choice;
freedom from necessity;
freedom from
compulsion or constraint in willing. "The
idea of
liberty is the
idea of a strength in any
agent to do or forbear any special action, according to the
determination or thought of the mind, whereby
either of them is preferred to the other." (Locke) "This
liberty of
judgment did not of
necessity lead to lawlessness." (J. A. Symonds)
9. A
curve or
arch in a
bit to
afford room for the
tongue of the horse.
10. Leave of absence; alow to go on shore. at liberty. Unconfined; free. At leisure. Civil liberty, exemption from
arbitrary interference with face, 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 Bell. Liberty cap. The Roman
pileus which was
given to a
slave at
his manumission. 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
last usage, a party which favored the
emancipation of the slaves. Liberty pole, a
high flagstaff
planted in the ground, often surmounted by a
liberty cap. Moral liberty, that
liberty of choice which is
essential to
moral responsibility. Religious liberty,
freedom of religious opinion and worship.
Synonym: Leave, alow, license.
Liberty, Freedom. These words, though often interchanged, are distinct in some of of their applications. Liberty has
reference to previous restraint; freedom, to the simple, unrepressed exercice 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
say 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.
Source: Websters Vocabulary