Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. lībĕrālis, e, adj. [1. liber], of or belonging to freedom, relating to the freeborn condition of a man.

  1. I. Lit.: liberalis causa or liberale judicium, a suit concerning a person’s freedom, v. Dig. 40, 12, 1 sqq.; Paul. Sent. 5, 1, 1 sqq.: si quisquam hanc liberali caussa manu adsereret, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 4; cf. 5, 2, 68: manu eas adserat liberali causa, id. Poen. 4, 2, 84: nam ego liberali illam assero causa manu, I formally assert that she is freeborn, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 40: judicium, Quint. 6, 3, 32: liberale conjugium, a marriage between persons of free condition, Ter. And. 3, 3, 29.
    Pleon.: ego te hoc triduom numquam sinam in domo esse, quin ego te liberalem liberem, Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 53.
  2. II. Transf., befitting a freeman, gentlemanly, noble, noble-minded, honorable, ingenuous, gracious, kind (syn.: generosus, ingenuus).
    1. A. In gen.: ingenium, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 59; id. Ep. 1, 1, 41: artes liberales, befitting a freeman, Cic. Inv. 1, 25, 35; cf.: liberalia studia accipimus, quae Graeci ἐλευθέρια μαθήματα appellant; rhetores continebuntur, grammatici, geometrae, Dig. 50, 13, 1: hae artes, quibus liberales doctrinae atque ingenuae continerentur, geometria, musica, litterarum cognitio et poëtarum, etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 32, 127; cf.: omnis liberalis et digna homine nobili doctrina, id. Ac. 2, 1, 1: de artificiis et quaestibus, qui liberales habendi, qui sordidi sint, id. Off. 1, 42, 150: liberalissima studia, id. Arch. 3, 4; id. Cael. 21 52; id. Rep. 1, 5, 9: spes liberalioris fortunae, of a higher, more respectable station, Liv. 22, 26: responsum, kind, gracious, Cic. Att. 3, 15, 4; so, liberalibus verbis permulceri, Sall. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 871 P.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Bountiful, generous, munificent, liberal (syn. munificus): liberales (sunt), qui suis facultatibus aut captos a praedonibus redimunt, aut aes alienum suscipiunt amicorum, etc., Cic. Off. 2, 16, 56: benefici liberalesque, id. Lael. 9, 31; cf.: liberalissimi et beneficentissimi, id. ib. 14, 51: liberalissimus munificentissimusque, id. Rosc. Com. 8, 22: virtus munifica et liberalis, id. Rep. 3, 8, 12: largus, beneficus, liberalis, id. Deiot. 9, 26.
          1. * (β) With gen.: laudis avidi, pecuniae liberales erant, Sall. C. 7, 6.
          2. (γ) With in and acc.: in omne genus hominum liberalissimus, Suet. Vesp. 7.
        1. b. Of things, plentiful, copious, abundant: largum et liberale viaticum, Cic. Fl. 6, 14: potio, Cels. 3, 6: liberalius alimentum, id. 8, 10, 7.
      2. 2. Noble, engaging, beautiful (ante-class.): illarum altera pulcer est et liberalis, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 60: lepidā et liberali formast, id. ib. 4, 1, 20; id. Ep. 5, 1, 41; id. Pers. 1, 3, 50: species, id. ib. 4, 3, 76; cf.: liberales dicuntur non solum benigni, sed etiam ingenuae formae homines, Paul. ex Fest. p. 121 Müll.
        Hence, adv.: lībĕrālĭter, in a manner befitting a freeman, nobly, ingenuously, kindly, courteously, graciously.
      1. 1. In gen.: homo liberaliter educatus, Cic. Fin. 3, 17, 57: eruditi, id. Tusc. 2, 2, 6: vivere, id. Lael. 23, 86: servire, i. e. properly, Ter. And. 1, 1, 11: respondere, kindly, courteously, Caes. B. G. 4, 18: oratione aliquem prosequi, id. ib. 2, 5.
      2. 2. In partic., bountifully, profusely, generously, liberally: benigne ac liberaliter, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 85, § 196: large et liberaliter, id. ib. 2, 3, 88, § 204: instructus, Caes. B. C. 3, 61.
        Comp.: vivo paulo liberalius, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 6, 3: nec potui accipi liberalius, id. Att. 16, 6, 1: ille (sal) in cibis paulo liberalius aspersus, Quint. 6, 3, 19: ubi liberalius malos odimus, more abundantly, more heartily, Plin. Pan. 68, 7.
        Sup.: dotem largiri liberalissime, App. M. 10, p. 250, 13: liberalissime polliceri, Cic. Att. 5, 13, 2.