libertarian
noun
lib·er·tar·i·an
ˌli-bər-ˈter-ē-ən 
-ˈte-rē-
plural libertarians
1
: an adherent or advocate of libertarianism
Libertarians take individual freedom as the paramount political value and understand coercion to be the antithesis of that freedom. While people can justifiably be forced to do certain things—most obviously, to refrain from infringing the liberty of others—they cannot be coerced to serve the good of other members of society, nor even their own personal good.—
Bas van der Vossen and Billy Christmas
Bas van der Vossen and Billy Christmas… the one big thing the libertarians knew and could explain better than anyone else—that the invisible hand of the market is a more reliable organizer of the economic life of nations than the visible hand of the state …—Richard Cornuelle
Richard Cornuelle2
Libertarian plural Libertarians
: a member or supporter of a political party supporting or promoting libertarianism
a registered Libertarian
libertarian
adjective
or less commonly Libertarian
… the libertarian ideology and rhetoric associated with "school choice," opposition to gun control, and the right of business to be free from government regulation.
—Alan Wolfe
Alan Wolfe
the Libertarian party
Examples of libertarian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
First, Massie has a base of libertarians and libertarian-leaning conservatives nationally.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
But in the last decade, the once fringe views of libertarians, religious nationalists, and champions of unfettered executive power have seeped into mainstream discourse.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
But freeing Ulbricht remained a big issue for libertarians like Clarke, who, given their laissez-faire philosophy, embraced pro-crypto policy before most Republicans or Democrats.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
There are social libertarians, there are right-wing libertarians, there are left-wing libertarians, but almost all of them look to this book as the foundational text for the principles of the basics of libertarian ideology.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libertarian
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
But in the last decade, the once fringe views of libertarians, religious nationalists, and champions of unfettered executive power have seeped into mainstream discourse.
—Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025
But freeing Ulbricht remained a big issue for libertarians like Clarke, who, given their laissez-faire philosophy, embraced pro-crypto policy before most Republicans or Democrats.
—Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025
There are social libertarians, there are right-wing libertarians, there are left-wing libertarians, but almost all of them look to this book as the foundational text for the principles of the basics of libertarian ideology.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for libertarian
Cite this Entry
“Libertarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/libertarian. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
libertarian
noun
lib·er·tar·i·an
ˌlib-ər-ˈter-ē-ən
: a person who believes in liberty of thought and action
libertarian
adjective
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share