freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.
freedom of the press
liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.
the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty
license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.
freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license
Example Sentences
a nation that values liberty and democracy soldiers willing to die in defense of liberty They gave him the liberty to handle the problem himself. hard-won liberties such as freedom of the press
Recent Examples on the WebWhile much journalism on Covid-19 continues to tell the story of the pandemic the way Chris Cuomo did at the outset—as a struggle between safety and personal liberty—Thrasher offers a different approach. Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2022 Some 62% of Chileans who voted in a national referendum on Sunday rejected a new constitution that would have empowered the left to restrict property rights and individual liberty. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 5 Sep. 2022 Ocasio-Cortez quote-tweeted a clip of remarks Alito made at a conference on religious liberty in Rome. Ella Lee, USA TODAY, 29 July 2022 More important was his role in founding the United States, an act that did more for liberty and human flourishing than any other single political act in human history so far. The Editors, National Review, 26 Aug. 2022 Making freedom the core value, as many American conservatives once did, erases the line between liberty and license. William A. Galston, WSJ, 23 Aug. 2022 Whereas many artists enjoy working face-to-face, there was a different kind of creative liberty to be gained through this method. Grant Sharples, SPIN, 17 Aug. 2022 Enlightenment philosophies spawned revolutions and gave rise to fundamental Western values like democracy and individual liberty. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022 Susan Osborne, who is also a Catholic grandmother, has been urging neighbors to vote against the measure, calling it an infringement on constitutional liberty. Sarah Herndon, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French liberté, from Latin libertat-, libertas, from liber free — more at liberal
ADJECTIVE | VERB + LIBERTY | PREPOSITION | PHRASESADJECTIVE➤great偉大的自由▸➤complete完全的自由▸➤basic, fundamental基本/根本自由◇a citizens' charter which gives people basic civil liberties賦予公民基本自由的公民憲章➤civil公民自由▸➤human, individual, personal人類/個體/個人自由➤economic, political, religious經濟/政治/宗教自由➤constitutional (especially NAmE) 憲法賦予的自由VERB + LIBERTY➤enjoy, have享有自由▸➤demand, fight for要求/爭取自由▸➤secure, win獲得/贏得自由◇The city won its liberty in the 16th century.這座城市於 16 世紀獲得自由。➤lose失去自由◇If found guilty, she is in danger of losing her liberty.如果被判有罪,她將有可能失去自由。➤defend, guarantee, preserve, protect, safeguard捍衞自由;保障自由;維護自由;保衞自由◇The law should protect the liberty of the individual.法律應該保障個人自由。➤threaten威脅自由◇The new legislation threatens individual liberty.新立法威脅到個人自由。➤curtail, erode, restrict, violate限制自由;損害自由◇Our personal liberty is being eroded.我們的人身自由正在受到侵害。➤deny, deprive sb of, destroy, take剝奪(某人的)自由;破壞自由▸➤allow sb, give sb給予某人自由◇The system allows us complete liberty to do the task as we like.這一體制讓我們完全自由地按自己的方法完成任務。➤sacrifice犧牲自由PREPOSITION➤at liberty自由◇I'm not at liberty to reveal the names of the victims.我沒有透露受害人姓名的自由。◇The escaped prisoner has been at liberty for five days. (formal) 囚犯已逃脫在外 5 天。➤liberty for⋯享有的自由◇Women are demanding greater liberty for themselves.婦女正在為自己爭取更大的自由。➤liberty from從⋯中解放出來◇liberty from the abuse of police power免遭濫用警察權力之苦PHRASES➤an infringement of liberty對自由的侵犯▸➤loss of liberty自由的喪失▸➤a threat to liberty對自由的威脅