Liberality
n.kind, thoughtfulformal
What it means
Generous willingness to give resources or allow breadth of thought.
Reach for it when naming openhandedness or tolerance in a formal, often historical register
The patron's liberality funded tools while leaving artisans free to choose methods.
Choose between these
6- everyday
differences are allowed without hostility
not when Tolerance can be grudging and need not be generous.
- warm
open giving of time, money, or credit is the clear idea
not when Generosity may not include openness toward different views.
- professional
willingness to consider unfamiliar ideas is central
not when Open-mindedness says nothing about material giving.
- formal
broad-mindedness
a wide, non-narrow outlook is the intended trait
not when Broad-mindedness does not cover financial generosity.
- literary
exceptionally large gifts deserve elevated praise
not when Munificence is rare and far stronger than ordinary liberality.
- literary
free giving is the specific quality
not when Openhandedness is limited to generosity and can sound old-fashioned.
Said against
3- stinginess
- intolerance
- narrow-mindedness
It naturally appears in
3- spirit of liberality
A spirit of liberality shaped both the grant and its flexible terms.
- known for liberality
The foundation became known for liberality toward experimental artists.
- intellectual liberality
Intellectual liberality allowed dissenting essays into the collection.
The word family
1Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, noun sense 1 opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.