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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illiberal
Older Western societies are presented as inherently illiberal, to be contrasted unfavorably with the perfectly liberal society promised by the prophets of the progressive future.
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Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 31 Dec. 2025
Putin is much more aggressive in propagating his ideology of illiberal nationalism and seeking to destroy the liberal international order.
—Michael McFaul, Wired News, 31 Dec. 2025
And within many democracies, the old assumptions that undergirded politics are in doubt; liberalism appears to be in disarray and illiberal forces on the rise.
—Daron Acemoglu, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Newsweek: How can rights-conscious partners trust Sri Lanka when its security laws resemble those of an illiberal state?
—Danish Manzoor Bhat, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberal
Adjective
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Working-class voters visiting a Reform clubhouse were more likely to find young professionals discussing weighty matters of foreign policy rather than parochial issues like street paving.—
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Looming over the desk is a giant cross made of yardsticks, those famous instruments of parochial-school torment, formed into a set of crosshairs.—
Adjective
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During this time frame, a narrow, intense lake-effect snow band, only about 10 miles wide, will be capable of thunder, wind gusts near 35 mph and near-zero visibility at its peak.—
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The climb is infamous for its heart-pumping switchbacks and vertiginous jaunt along a narrow sliver of crag.—
Adjective
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Although the Ripken card launched many conspiracy theories as to whether the inclusion of its vulgar phrase was truly a mistake or a Fleer marketing ploy, there is a long history of errors making it through quality control in sports card production.—
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The joke swap during last year's Christmas episode went to some particularly jaw-dropping places after Che made Jost read a vulgar joke about Johansson.—
Adjective
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The founders argue that automation should be accessible to smaller operators, including neighborhood bars and private event spaces.—
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There can be 30 minutes of small waves before a sneaker wave strikes.—
Adjective
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Garlow condemned violence against Jewish people, even going so far as to call out people within his own faith who have expressed bigoted beliefs.—
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Here was an extremely wealthy and culturally powerful woman who, for some reason, insisted on making her bigoted views about people like me openly and widely known.—
Adjective
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Often, the art created out of activism is productive and instructional, rather than crass or shocking, Duarte said.—
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Unable to project solemn grief, conservatives went with spectacle and crass remarks.—
Adjective
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Angel went for a respectful middle-of-the-road jab — complimenting her parenting and resilience, but maligning her for being petty.—
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Who is not petty or vindictive.—
Adjective
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The Islamic Republic has lost many of its best and brightest to emigration, and the members of the élite who remain are, in general, from a more provincial background.—
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On Saturday afternoon, an explosive drone hit the Aleppo provincial government building shortly after two Cabinet ministers and a local official held a news conference on the developments in the city, state TV said.—
Cite this Entry
“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberal. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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