liberal party

English - English

Definition of liberal party in English English dictionary

{i} left-wing political party in Britain which supports improving conditions for the lower classes

In Britain, the Liberal Party was a political party which believed in limited controls on industry, the providing of welfare services, and more local government and individual freedom. Liberal Party is also used to refer to similar parties in some other countries. a former British political party of the centre. British political party that emerged in the mid-19th century as the successor to the Whigs. It was the major party in opposition to the Conservative Party until 1918, after which it was supplanted by the Labour Party. It was initially supported by the middle class that was enfranchised by the Reform Bill of 1832. Earl Russell's administration in 1846 is sometimes regarded as the first Liberal government, but the first unequivocally Liberal government was formed in 1868 by William E. Gladstone. Under Gladstone, until 1894, the party's hallmark was reform; after 1884 it espoused Irish Home Rule. It championed individualism, private enterprise, human rights, and promotion of social justice; wary of imperial expansion, it was pacific and internationalist. During World War I it split into two camps, centred on H.H. Asquith and David Lloyd George. It continued as a minor party until 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form the Liberal Democratic Party

{i} political party whose principles include individual freedom and economic (also entrepreneurial) freedom

a major political party in Great Britain in the 19th century; now the third largest; advocated reforms and improvement of the conditions of working people

Related Terms

Liberal Party of Canada

One of the two major Canadian political parties. It originated in two reformist opposition groups, Rouges and Clear Grits, that emerged in the mid-19th century in what are now the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, respectively. The first Liberal government was headed by Alexander Mackenzie (1873-78). The party regained power under Wilfred Laurier (1896-1911) and was the ruling party for much of the 20th century under such prime ministers as W.L. Mackenzie King, Louis Saint Laurent, Lester Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, and Jean Chrétien. Like the Conservative Party (later the Progressive Conservative Party), the Liberal Party comprises diverse regional, ethnic, religious, and class interests

Heirut-Liberal Party Bloc

group of right-wing political parties that became the Likud party

Independent Liberal Party

one of the political parties in Israel

Italian Liberal Party

Moderately conservative political party that dominated Italian politics in the decades after unification (1861) and was a minor party after World War II. It was formed as a parliamentary group in 1848 by Camillo Benso, count di Cavour; his followers favoured a centralized government, restricted suffrage, regressive taxation, and free trade. Left Liberals gained control of the party in 1876. Its strength declined after World War I, but beginning in 1944 it was a minor partner in most Christian Democratic coalition governments. Drawing its chief support from small businessmen, it favoured free enterprise; it also backed Italy's involvement in NATO. It was caught up in various corruption scandals after 1992 and was dissolved in the mid 1990s. Most former Liberals joined the centre-right Forza Italia party of Silvio Berlusconi

Liberal Democrat Party

The Liberal Democrat Party is the third largest political party in Britain and the main centre party. It believes in improving the constitution and the voting system and in providing good welfare services

Liberal-Democratic Party

Japan's largest political party, which held power almost continuously from its formation in 1955 until 1993. It was created through the amalgamation and transformation of various factions of the prewar Rikken Seiykai and Minseit parties. The conservative LDP appeared threatened in the 1970s but survived; the end of the 1980s boom years (the "bubble economy"), financial crises, and political scandals finally caused the party to lose its majority in the Diet in 1993. It came back to power in a coalition government in 1994, and since then LDP prime ministers have included Obuchi Keiz and Koizumi Jun'ichir

National Liberal Party

German Nationalliberale Partei Political party that was active first in Prussia and the North German Confederation from 1867, then in Germany in 1871-1918. From 1871 until 1879 the National Liberals, under the leadership of Rudolf von Bennigsen and Johannes von Miquel, enthusiastically supported Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in the Reichstag (parliament) and constituted a virtual government party, winning more seats than any other party. After losing many seats in the election of 1879, the party split over the issue of giving the Reichstag control over revenues. It formed a coalition with the Conservatives in 1890, but its influence waned thereafter

Hyphenation

Li·ber·al par·ty

Turkish pronunciation

lîbrıl pärti

Pronunciation

/ˈləbrəl ˈpärtē/ /ˈlɪbrəl ˈpɑːrtiː/