liberalize

American  

[lib-er-uh-lahyz, lib-ruh-] / ˈlɪb ər əˌlaɪz, ˈlɪb rə- /

especially British, liberalise

verb (used with or without object)

liberalized, liberalizing

1. to make or become liberal.

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liberalize British  

/ ˈlɪbərəˌlaɪz, ˈlɪbrə- /

verb

1. to make or become liberal

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Other Word Forms

• liberalization noun
• liberalizer noun
• overliberalize verb
• unliberalized adjective

Etymology

Origin of liberalize

First recorded in 1765–75; liberal + -ize

Example Sentences

In 2022, Nabavi and Hassan Khomeini lobbied the government to liberalize the political system during protests against the compulsory veil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

He said that when he first attended a General Conference in 2008, he was shocked by proposals to liberalize church rules.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2024

But they happened amid a nationwide push by manufacturer and restaurant lobbies to liberalize child labor laws in those states and elsewhere.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2023

In 1995, the World Trade Organisation implemented the Agreement on Agriculture to liberalize agricultural trade.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2023

The military regime took steps in   the early 1990s to liberalize the economy after decades of failure   under the "Burmese Way to Socialism", but those efforts have since   stalled.

From The 2004 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency