liberalize

verb

lib·​er·​al·​ize ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 

liberalized; liberalizing

transitive verb

: to make liberal or more liberal

intransitive verb

: to become liberal or more liberal

liberalization

ˌli-b(ə-)rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun

liberalizer

ˈli-b(ə-)rə-ˌlī-zər 

noun

Examples of liberalize in a Sentence

The country's immigration policies have begun to liberalize.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cuba Trump reversed many of Barack Obama’s executive orders liberalizing trade and travel to Cuba, banning U.S. flights to most Cuban cities and limiting remittances. —Carmen Sesin, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024

In its recent report, the National Academy of Sciences cited the high proportion of immigrants among Nobel Prize winners as one of several arguments for liberalizing U.S. immigration laws and regulations. —Stuart Anderson, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024

But even in the face of such pressure, neither Hong Kong’s nor Singapore’s government seems particularly keen to liberalize. —Chris Lau, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024

Yet after Gaidar liberalized price controls in January 1992, the same result could be achieved with almost no planning at all: consumer demand was enough to keep the stores full. —Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1765, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

liberalize

verb

lib·​er·​al·​ize ˈlib(-ə)-rə-ˌlīz 

liberalized; liberalizing

: to make or become liberal or more liberal

liberalization

ˌlib(-ə)-rə-lə-ˈzā-shən 

noun