unliberaladj.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈlɪb(ə)rəl/, /(ˌ)ʌnˈlɪb(ə)rl̩/, U.S. /ˌənˈlɪb(ə)rəl/ That is not liberal (in various senses); illiberal.In recent use occasionally in the form unLiberal with specific allusion to the beliefs or policies of a particular political party; cf. liberal adj. 5b.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > retaining > niggardliness or meanness > [adjective]
gnedec900
gripplea1000
fastOE
narrow-hearteda1200
narrow?c1225
straitc1290
chinchc1300
nithinga1325
scarcec1330
clama1340
hard1340
scantc1366
sparingc1386
niggardc1400
chinchy?1406
retentivea1450
niggardousa1492
niggish1519
unliberal1533
pinching1548
dry1552
nigh1555
niggardly1560
churlish1566
squeamish1566
niggardish1567
niggard-like1567
holding1569
spare1577
handfast1578
envious1580
close-handed1585
hard-handed1587
curmudgeonly1590
parsimonious?1591
costive1594
hidebound1598
penny-pinching1600
penurious1600
strait-handed1600
club-fisted1601
dry-fisted1604
fast-handed1605
fast-fingered1607
close-fisted1608
near1611
scanting1613
carkingc1620
illiberal1623
clutch-fisteda1634
hideboundeda1640
clutch-fista1643
clunch-fisted1644
unbounteous1645
hard-fisted1646
purse-bound1652
close1654
stingy1659
tenacious1676
scanty1692
sneaking1696
gripe-handed1698
narrow-souled1699
niggardling1704
snippy1727
unindulgent1742
shabby1766
neargoinga1774
cheesemongering1781
split-farthing1787
save-all1788
picked1790
iron-fisted1794
unhandsome1800
scaly1803
nearbegoing1805
tight1805
nippit1808
nipcheese1819
cumin-splitting1822
partan-handed1823
scrimping1823
scrumptious1823
scrimpy1825
meanly1827
skinny1833
pinchfisted1837
mean1840
tight-fisted1843
screwy1844
stinty1849
cheeseparing1857
skinflinty1886
mouly1904
mingy1911
cheapskate1912
picey1937
tight-assed1961
chintzy1964
tightwad1976
1533 tr. Erasmus Enchiridion Militis Christiani xxxviij. sig. S.v It cometh of an vn liberal mynde [L. illiberalis..animi] to forgete ye good benefytes.
1611 J. Florio Queen Anna's New World of Words Inliberale, vnliberall, sparing.
1685 M. Altham Dialogue Pastor & Parishioner 91 Are they over-tenacious, unfriendly, and unliberal?
1799 Montrose III. xlvi. 103 People might say, I was too comely to look genteel—a pack of nonsense—who cares for their unliberal tongues.
1840 Argus 17 May 249/3 His speech exhibited considerable talent and research; but..we confess ourselves unliberal enough to set but little value upon it.
1860 A. H. Clough Let. 20 July (1865) 297 I don't think, however, that any ministry will venture on an unliberal foreign policy.
1920 E. D. Martin Behavior of Crowds ix. 265 Our legislative assemblies were tricked into passing the obviously unliberal Eighteenth Amendment.
1945 Times 6 Aug. 3/4 The prohibition is anti-democratic and unliberal.
1994 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 26 May 13 In recent years..it has seemed to many groups who might otherwise sympathise with right-wing politics that it is unLiberal to do so.
2009 Toronto Star (Nexis) 24 July a21 Economic growth in the West (the one place on the globe where liberals can come out of the closet) is going to slip well behind that of distinctly unliberal countries like China.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.1533