liberty

/ˈlɪbəti/ (bre, ipa) · [lˈɪbɚtˌi] /ˈlɪbərti/ (ame, ipa) · [lˈɪbɚtˌi] /ˈli-bər-tē/ (ame, mw)

liberty — noun

  • libertysingular
  • libertiesplural

1. the state of being able to choose how you live and where you go without unfair c

1.名詞B2
釋義

the state of being able to choose how you live and where you go without unfair control from other people or authorities

例句

Liberty mattered more than comfort to the students who challenged the government.

liberty as broad social freedom

After years in prison, Mauricio wept when the judge restored his liberty.

restore liberty after confinement

同義詞
  • freedom

    the most usual everyday word for the same broad idea

  • independence

    often stresses freedom from outside control, especially for a country or group

  • autonomy

    is more formal and often refers to self-government or self-management

反義詞
  • oppression

    stresses harsh control that removes liberty

文法句型

liberty of speech

win liberty from oppression

value liberty above comfort

用法筆記

This sense names freedom as a general condition. Distinguish it from sense 3, which is usually plural and refers to particular legal or civil rights.

常見錯誤

❌The law gave the village many liberty.
✅The law gave the village more liberty.
💡liberty is usually uncountable when you mean freedom in general.

2. the right or official permission to do a particular thing

2.名詞C1
釋義

the right or official permission to do a particular thing

例句

Theo is not at liberty to share the exam questions before Friday.

be at liberty to + verb

After the contract ended, Sirin was at liberty to work elsewhere.

be at liberty to after a restriction ends

同義詞
  • right

    is broader and can be moral or legal, not just situational permission

  • permission

    focuses on someone allowing you to do something

  • authority

    often stresses formal power to act on behalf of an organization

反義詞

文法句型

be at liberty to + verb

give somebody liberty to + verb

用法筆記

Most often appears in the pattern be at liberty to + verb. It usually means allowed or officially free to act, not broad social freedom.

常見錯誤

❌I'm not on liberty to tell you.
✅I'm not at liberty to tell you.
💡this sense usually appears in the fixed pattern at liberty to + verb.

3. particular rights and freedoms that people or groups are meant to have in societ

3.名詞C1
釋義

particular rights and freedoms that people or groups are meant to have in society

例句

The group warned that the new search law would weaken basic liberties.

basic liberties in legal debate

Workers won several new liberties after months of talks with the company.

win new liberties through negotiation

同義詞
  • rights

    is broader and more general than liberties

  • protections

    stresses safeguards provided by law or rules

  • entitlements

    is more formal and often used for official benefits or legal claims

反義詞

文法句型

protect civil liberties

take away liberties

win new liberties

用法筆記

Usually plural in modern English, especially in phrases such as civil liberties and religious liberties. Unlike sense 1, this sense points to identifiable rights within law or public life.

常見錯誤

❌The law protected our liberty to vote and speak.
✅The law protected our liberties to vote and speak.
💡English often uses the plural when talking about several concrete rights.

4. a rude remark or action that crosses polite limits because it treats someone wit

4.名詞C1
釋義

a rude remark or action that crosses polite limits because it treats someone with too little respect

例句

What a liberty to open Tamar's letter and laugh at it.

What a liberty! exclamation pattern

Christopher took a real liberty when he answered the phone in my office.

take a liberty with someone else's space

同義詞
  • impropriety

    is more formal and stresses behaviour against social rules

  • insult

    focuses more directly on an offensive act or remark

  • familiarity

    can suggest behaviour that is too casual or forward

反義詞
  • courtesy

    shows the respect this sense lacks

文法句型

what a liberty!

take a liberty

用法筆記

Often appears in exclamations such as What a liberty! or in take a liberty. It sounds more British and a little more old-fashioned than simply saying something was rude.

5. in the phrase take liberties with something, changes that move too far away from

5.名詞C2
釋義

in the phrase take liberties with something, changes that move too far away from the original version

例句

The film takes liberties with the book by changing the ending entirely.

take liberties with + creative work

Shirin's article took too many liberties with the witness's exact words.

too many liberties with quoted words

同義詞
  • distortion

    stresses that the original has been bent out of shape

  • embellishment

    can be milder and may suggest added details for effect

  • adaptation

    is neutral, unlike liberty in this critical sense

反義詞

文法句型

take liberties with a book

take liberties with the facts

用法筆記

Normally appears in take liberties with something and is common when people criticise films, books, translations, or retellings for straying too far from the source.

6. in the phrase take liberties with somebody, behaviour that becomes wrongly intim

6.名詞C2
釋義

in the phrase take liberties with somebody, behaviour that becomes wrongly intimate or sexual without being wanted

例句

The manager was fired after taking liberties with a junior worker at the party.

take liberties with somebody in misconduct reports

Lakshmi pushed the man's hand away when he tried to take liberties with her.

unwanted touching in the phrase take liberties with

同義詞
  • molestation

    is stronger and more formal, often used in legal or police contexts

  • groping

    focuses specifically on unwanted touching

  • harassment

    is broader and can include words as well as touch

反義詞
  • respect

    marks the personal boundary this behaviour ignores

文法句型

take liberties with somebody

用法筆記

Normally appears in take liberties with somebody and strongly suggests unwanted touching or sexual over-familiarity, not harmless friendliness.