liberty

英['lɪbətɪ] 美['lɪbɚti]

反义词slavery

复数: liberties;

liberty 自由，放肆

词源同liberal,自由的，-ty,名词后缀。引申词义自由过度，放肆，无礼。

liberty (n.): late 14c., "free choice, freedom to do as one chooses," from Old French liberté "freedom, liberty, free will" (14c.), from Latin libertatem (nominative libertas) "freedom, condition of a free man; absence of restraint; permission," from liber "free" (see liberal)
The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right. [Learned Hand, 1944]
Nautical sense of "leave of absence" is from 1758. To take liberties "go beyond the bounds of propriety" is from 1620s. Sense of "privileges by grant" (14c.) led to sense of "a person's private land" (mid-15c.), which yielded sense in 18c. in both England and America of "a district within a county but having its own justice of the peace," and also "a district adjacent to a city and in some degree under its municipal jurisdiction" (as in Northern Liberties of Philadelphia). Also compare Old French libertés "local rights, laws, taxes."

1. He firmly believes liberty is inseparable from social justice.: 他坚信自由与社会正义是不可分的。

2. I am afraid we are not at liberty to disclose that information.: 恐怕我们无权透露这一信息。

5. a political system based on the notions of equality and liberty: 建立在自由平等观念基础上的政治体系