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."
实用例句
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。来自柯林斯例句
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。来自柯林斯例句
3. The Puritans became fugitives in quest of liberty.
清教徒变成了追求自由的逃亡者。来自柯林斯例句
4. the fight for justice and liberty
争取正义和自由的斗争来自《权威词典》
5. a political system based on the notions of equality and liberty
