Liberty, freedom. Freedom, liberty.
What do they mean?
From the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary and The American Heritage Dictionary.
They appear to be synonymous. Are They?
Merriam-Webster's dictionary
LIBERTY
Main Entry:
lib·er·ty Pronunciation:
\ˈli-bər-tē\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural lib·er·ties
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French liberté, from Latin libertat-, libertas, from liber free — more at liberal
Date:
14th century
1: the quality or state of being free: a: the power to do as one pleases b: freedom from physical restraint c: freedom from arbitrary or despotic control d: the positive enjoyment of various social, political, or economic rights and privileges e: the power of choice 2 a: a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant : privilege b: permission especially to go freely within specified limits3: an action going beyond normal limits: as a: a breach of etiquette or propriety : familiarity b: risk, chance<took foolish liberties with his health> c: a violation of rules or a deviation from standard practice d: a distortion of fact 4: a short authorized absence from naval duty usually for less than 48 hours
synonyms see freedom
— at liberty
FREEDOM
Main Entry:
free·dom Pronunciation:
\ˈfrē-dəm\
Function:
noun
Date:
before 12th century
1: the quality or state of being free: as a: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independencec: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care> d: ease, facility <spoke the language with freedom> e: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken <answered with freedom> f: improper familiarity g: boldness of conception or execution h: unrestricted use <gave him the freedom of their home> 2 a: a political right b: franchise, privilege
synonyms freedom, liberty, license mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated <freedom of the press>. liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion <the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty>. license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom <freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license>
The American Heritage Dictionary
free·dom
(fr¶“d…m) n. 1. The condition of being free of restraints. 2. Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression. 3.a. Political independence. b. Possession of civil rights; immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority. 4. Exemption from an unpleasant or onerous condition: freedom from want. 5. The capacity to exercise choice; free will: We have the freedom to do as we please all afternoon. 6. Ease or facility of movement: loose sports clothing, giving the wearer freedom. 7. Frankness or boldness; lack of modesty or reserve: the new freedom in movies and novels. 8.a. The right to unrestricted use; full access: was given the freedom of their research facilities. b. The right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship: the freedom of the city. [Middle English fredom, from Old English fr¶od½m : fr¶o, free; see FREE + -d½m, -dom.]
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SYNONYMS: freedom, liberty, license. These nouns refer to the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints. Freedom is the most general term: “In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free” (Abraham Lincoln). “The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty” (George Mason). Liberty is often used interchangeably with freedom; often, however, it especially stresses the power of free choice: liberty of opinion; liberty of worship; at liberty to choose whatever occupation she wishes; “liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases” (William Hazlitt). License sometimes denotes deliberate deviation from normally applicable rules or practices to achieve a desired effect, as in literature or art: poetic license. Frequently, though, it denotes undue freedom: “the intolerable license with which the newspapers break . . . the rules of decorum” (Edmund Burke).
lib·er·ty
(l¹b“…r-t¶) n., pl. lib·er·ties. 1.a. The condition of being free from restriction or control. b. The right and power to act, believe, or express oneself in a manner of one's own choosing. c. The condition of being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor. See Synonyms at freedom. 2. Freedom from unjust or undue governmental control. 3. A right and power to engage in certain actions without control or interference: the liberties protected by the Bill of Rights. 4. Often liberties.a. A breach or overstepping of propriety or social convention. b. A statement, an attitude, or an action not warranted by conditions or actualities: a historical novel that takes liberties with chronology. c. An unwarranted risk; a chance: took foolish liberties on the ski slopes. 5. A period, usually short, during which a sailor is authorized to go ashore. --idiom. at liberty. 1. Not in confinement or under constraint; free. 2. Not employed, occupied, or in use. [Middle English liberte, from Old French, from Latin lºbert³s, from lºber, free. See leudh- below.]
Lib·er·ty (l¹b“…r-t¶). A city of western Missouri, an industrial suburb of Kansas City. Population, 20,459.
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leudh-. Important derivatives are: liberal, liberate, liberty, livery, deliver.
leudh-. To mount up, grow. 1. Basic form *leudh-. LANDSLEIT, from Old High German liut, person, people, from Germanic *liud-i-. 2. Suffixed form *leudh-ero-. LIBERAL, LIBERATE, LIBERTINE, LIBERTY, LIVERY; DELIVER, from Latin lºber, free (the precise semantic development is obscure). [Pokorny 1. leudh- 684.]