liberale
/li.beˈra.le/
The English word "liberal" is translated into Italian as liberale.
In Italian, liberale is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is open to political or social reforms. You will see it used in specific political and academic contexts, such as in the phrase democrazia liberale for "liberal democracy" or in arti liberali for "liberal arts". If you are specifically referring to a progressive political ideology in Italy, you might also use the word progressista.
Meaning: open to political or social reforms (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective liberale is invariant for gender, which means the form remains the same whether it describes a masculine or feminine noun. To make the word plural, use the form liberali.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable: /li.beˈra.le/.
Did you know?
- While in English 'liberal' can sometimes mean 'generous' or 'giving', using liberale in Italian to describe a person's temperament will almost always be interpreted as a political classification.
- In Italy, the term liberale is often associated with the historical Risorgimento period and the struggle for Italian unification. It carries a strong connotation of 19th-century constitutionalism rather than just modern social progressivism.
- The adjective liberale derives from the Latin word līberālis, meaning 'befitting a freeman'.
Examples in context
- Tom è un liberale.Tom's a liberal.This sentence is useful for identifying someone's political stance using liberale.Tatoeba #9265306 by Guybrush88, translation #9265241 by DJ_Saidez
- Ho un vicino liberale.I have a liberal neighbor.This sentence shows how to describe a neighbor using liberale.Tatoeba #4651701 by madriot, translation #1901710 by Spamster
- È piuttosto liberale, vero?He's quite liberal, isn't he?This sentence uses liberale to describe a person's character in a question.Tatoeba #8732528 by Guybrush88, translation #8527620 by CH
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are discussing a political candidate at a cafe.
- AlessandroPensi che il candidato sia liberale?Do you think the candidate is liberal?
- ChiaraSì, ha un pensiero molto liberale.Yes, he has a very liberal way of thinking.
- AlessandroAllora è un profilo interessante.Then he is an interesting profile.
- ChiaraSpero che la sua visione sia aperta.I hope his vision is open.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry liberale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries liberale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
