Definition

The quality of being narrow-minded or not generous in terms of ideas, opinions, or behavior.

Example

His illiberality made it difficult for him to accept new ideas from others.

Conversation

I was reading about how illiberality can really affect society.

That sounds interesting! What did you find out?

It just made me think about how important it is to be open-minded.

Absolutely, being stuck in illiberality can limit our understanding of others.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Illiberality is formed from "in-" (meaning not) and "liberalis" (from Latin, meaning generous or free). The word describes a state of being not generous or lacking in freedom of thought or action.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('in-') being generous ('liberalis') — that's why illiberality means a lack of generosity.

Visually Confused Words