1
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
an illiberal society that viewed any artistic depiction of the nude as inherently indecent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
some of the more illiberal residents were opposed to having a hospice for AIDS patients in the neighborhood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in vulgar
archaic
lacking in refinement or good taste
people who had been scorned as illiberal because they were poor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of illiberal
Scholars of comparative authoritarianism have long identified the selective application of harsh criminal penalties as a hallmark of illiberal governance.
—
Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
As Orbán over the past decade took a forceful stance against migrants and refugees and proclaimed himself Europe's champion of illiberal Christian democracy, Budapest became a magnet for American conservatives.
—Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026
As Orbán over the past decade took a forceful stance against migrants and refugees and proclaimed himself Europe's champion of illiberal Christian democracy, Budapest became a magnet for American conservatives.
—Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
The remoteness of the imperial government at Vienna and an increasingly illiberal regime soon aroused discontent in Austria’s Italian province.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
My own passage into and back out of unbelief—one marked by a close reading of works that earlier illiberal societies had attempted to suppress on religious grounds—has strengthened my liberal commitments.
—Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for illiberal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for illiberal
Adjective
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Research shows the disparity between vaccination coverage in private and parochial/religious versus public schools is that private and parochial/religious schools tend to have higher rates of exemptions to vaccinations for moral and religious beliefs.—
Kar-Hai Chu,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
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But quietly, the third-year forward had put himself in position for a more parochial reserve reward, one that caught him unaware.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But our understanding of pedantry, denoting the sticklerishness of academic specialists and grammar obsessives, is a relatively narrow one.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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Of course, the narrow bench-style seat will also help shorter riders flat-foot the motorcycle perfectly.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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One day, Dahlstrom made a vulgar joke in a lunchroom referencing oral sex and pubic hair, according to the employee.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Ceija Stojka’s small paintings at the Drawing Center swarm with such harrowing incident that viewers may not spot the mystery in the bottom right corner of many of her canvases.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Pistons are small favorites on the road for Game 3.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Each of them was punched in the face as the attacker yelled out his bigoted remarks, police said.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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This is a guy who could write these incredibly bigoted figures, and then also write this really searing indictment of American materialism.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Plastic trinkets and graffiti, television sets and bumper stickers, road signs and wigs—many might describe these items as disposable culture, signs of America’s crass habit of regarding anything as art.—
Hua Hsu,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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Alas, Deborah’s crass attempt to extort her fans immediately goes sideways.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On the surface, the 50-year-old multimillionaire head coach of LSU getting petty online on a random Saturday in late April is an odd move.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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The souring of their relationship has at times bordered on the petty and personal.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Oilers foundation uses a service provider called Win50, a company accredited by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), a provincial-government regulatory body.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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State Grid currently operates across 26 of mainland China’s 31 provincial-level regions, while China Southern Power Grid covers five southern regions, including Guangdong, reports SCMP.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Illiberal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/illiberal. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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