liberties

Variant of liberty

liberty definition

lib·erty (lib′ər tē)

noun pl. liberties -·ties

  1. freedom or release from slavery, imprisonment, captivity, or any other form of arbitrary control
  2. the sum of rights and exemptions possessed in common by the people of a community, state, etc.
  3. a particular right, franchise, or exemption from compulsion
  4. a too free, too familiar, or impertinent action or attitude
  5. the limits within which a certain amount of freedom may be exercised to have the liberty of the third floor
    1. permission given to a sailor to go ashore; specif., in the U.S. Navy, permission given to an enlisted person to be absent from duty for a period ordinarily of 48 hours or less
    2. the period of time given
  7. Philos. freedom to choose; freedom from compulsion or constraint

Etymology: ME & OFr liberte < L libertas < liber, free: see liberal

liberty Idioms

at liberty

  1. not confined; free
  2. permitted (to do or say something); allowed
  3. not busy or in use

take liberties

  1. to be too familiar or impertinent in action or speech: often used with with
  2. to deal (with facts, data, etc.) in a distorting way

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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