Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In an illiberal manner; ungenerously; uncharitably; ignobly; meanly.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb In a illiberal manner, ungenerously; uncharitably; parsimoniously.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb In an illiberal manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb in a narrow-minded manner

Etymologies

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Examples

  • When considered in this way, there is a strong case for saying that this so-called liberal state is acting illiberally.

    Clegg and Cameron's illiberal 'Big Liberal Society' Richard Grayson 2010

  • The order in question was one of those issued, doubtless with a good intent, to secure generally the safety of our trains, but General Gilbert was not elastic, and on the march he had construed the order so illiberally that it was next to impossible to supply the men with food, and they were particularly short in this respect on the eve of the battle.

    She Makes Her Mouth Small & Round & Other Stories 2010

  • The coalition deal has seen the party perform U-turns on budget cuts; a full review of Trident and, perhaps most illiberally, will see Lib Dem MPs support a cap on non-EU immigration.

    Shortlists are the least-bad option for the white, male Lib Dems Ben Moody 2010

  • The conventional argument used on the left and the right to distinguish religion from non-religion is that there is a sufficiently big and homogeneous group of Ahura-Mazda worshipers who illiberally expect their children to follow their same beliefs, therefore they must be a religion and get special treatment vis-a-vis public reason.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Voting, Religion, and Public Officials: 2009

  • But this is nothing short of saying that religion is a special case away and apart from the enlightenment order, one in which behaving illiberally is rewarded with special privileges from the liberal order.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Voting, Religion, and Public Officials: 2009

  • Her aunt seized the agitating moment of self-upbraiding and worldly disgust, to impress upon her fears the lessons of her opening life: and thus, repulsed from passion, and sickened of dissipation, though too illiberally instructed for chearful and rational piety, she was happily snatched from utter ruin by protecting, though eccentric enthusiasm.

    Camilla 2008

  • Secondly, for the posers sitting in climate controlled boxes be it liberal or illiberally playing whinolins of conjecture concering whether or not one out of the six billion chaps here on the planet is allowed to ride bicycles in events...

    Coming Back to Haunt You: Scary Faces and Spiky Bikes BikeSnobNYC 2008

  • You are now but nineteen, an age at which most of your countrymen are illiberally getting drunk in port, at the university.

    Letters to his son on The Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman 2005

  • And maybe, at times, you have to act illiberally to do that.

    Recent commentary on the House Arrest proposals James 2005

  • And maybe, at times, you have to act illiberally to do that.

    Archive 2005-02-01 James 2005

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