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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illiberal
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
The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
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
The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberal
Adjective
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Distraught by life in the South, Reed figured that the only way to escape his parochial childhood was to write his way out.—
Duane Byrge,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
-
Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The five-time Masters champ was arrested March 27 on a DUI charge after the crash, which occurred when his Land Rover SUV attempted to pass a pickup truck pulling a pressure-cleaner trailer on a narrow, two-lane road in the Treasure Coast town.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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The company also topped revenue expectations for the first quarter and posted a narrower-than-expected loss than analysts anticipated, according to FactSet.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Glamorous on the verge of vulgar, elegant yet unrestrained, and unmistakably luxurious.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
17 May 2026
-
Aimed mainly toward men between 18 and 49 years old, hot talk mixed vulgar jokes with talk about pop culture and politics and often took political positions contrary to feminism and liberalism.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Eggs, sushi, and crypto The account paid attention to smaller stories, too.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
East is a boutique hotel, some condos, and a small residential neighborhood with a few local restaurants.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Each of them was punched in the face as the attacker yelled out his bigoted remarks, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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This is a guy who could write these incredibly bigoted figures, and then also write this really searing indictment of American materialism.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the series adaptation, from creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Turner (Up In The Air, X-Men First Class), a ruthless and crass barbarian is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch on a road of self discovery, redemption and revenge.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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Created by Mike Moreci and Nathan Gooden and edited by Adrian Wassel, Barbaric centers on a ruthless and crass barbarian who is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch, on a road of self-discovery, redemption and revenge.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Set in Gaza in 2007, and following the misadventures of a student (Nader Abd Alhay) and restaurant owner and petty criminal (Majd Eid), the picture premiered in Un Certain Regard last year and won the Best Director prize.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
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On Monday, the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for dela Rosa, a former national police chief who first enforced then President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug crackdowns, in which thousands of mostly petty suspects were killed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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There are two teenage boys in the film, Haruki (Waku Kawaguchi) and Keita (Kiyora Fuiwara), whose inchoate erotic feelings for one another, a love that can still barely say its name in provincial Japan, forms a subplot here.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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The trade war’s latest turn Those provincial restrictions remained in place even after the two countries reached a partial deal exempting about half of USMCA‑compliant goods from ongoing tariffs in summer 2025, leading Canada to scale back some retaliatory levies.—
Andrew Muhammad,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberal. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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