[syn: familiarity, impropriety, indecorum, liberty]
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]
WordNet (r) 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]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
109 Moby Thesaurus words for "liberty":
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
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.)
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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