political liberty

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The freedom of a nation from any unjust abridgment of its rights and independence; the right to participate in political elections and civil offices, and to have a voice in the administration of the laws under which one lives.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “political liberty” mean?

The freedom of a nation from any unjust abridgment of its rights and independence; the right to participate in political elections and civil offices, and to have a voice in the administration of the laws under which one lives.

Is “political liberty” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.