King James Bible Dictionary

LIB'ERAL, adjective [Latin liberalis, from liber, free. See Libe.]

1. Of a free heart; free to give or bestow; not close or contracted; munificent; bountiful; generous; giving largely; as a liberal donor; the liberal founders of a college or hospital. It expresses less than profuse or extravagant.

2. Generous; ample; large; as a liberal donation; a liberal allowance.

3. Not selfish, narrow on contracted; catholic; enlarged; embracing other interests than one's own; as liberal sentiments or views; a liberal mind; liberal policy.

4. General; extensive; embracing literature and the sciences generally; as a liberal education. This phrase is often but not necessarily synonymous with collegiate; as a collegiate education.

5. Free; open; candid; as a liberal communication of thoughts.

6. Large; profuse; as a liberal discharge of matter by secretions or excretions.

7. Free; not literal or strict; as a liberal construction of law.

8. Not mean; not low in birth or mind.

9. Licentious; free to excess.

Liberal arts, as distinguished from mechanical arts, are such as depend more on the exertion of the mind than on the labor of the hands, and regard amusement, curiosity or intellectual improvement, rather than the necessity of subsistence, or manual skill. Such are grammar, rhetoric, painting, sculpture, architecture, music. etc.

Liberal has of before the thing bestowed, and to before the person or object on which any thing is bestowed; as, to be liberal of praise or censure; liberal to the poor.

General references
Exodus 22:29-30; Exodus 13:2; Exodus 13:12; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:20; Exodus 25:1-8; Exodus 35:4-29; Exodus 36:3-6; Exodus 38:8; Leviticus 19:5; Leviticus 22:29; Numbers 35:8; Deuteronomy 12:11-12; Deuteronomy 12:17-19; Deuteronomy 14:27-29; Deuteronomy 15:7-18; Deuteronomy 16:10; Deuteronomy 16:17; Deuteronomy 18:1-8; Deuteronomy 24:19-22; 2 Samuel 24:24; 1 Chronicles 22:19; 1 Chronicles 28:10; 1 Chronicles 28:20; 1 Chronicles 29:5; 2 Chronicles 15:7; 2 Chronicles 15:18; Ezra 1:2-4; Psalms 41:1-3; Psalms 76:11; Psalms 112:5; Psalms 112:9; Psalms 132:1-5; Proverbs 3:9-10; Proverbs 11:24-25; Proverbs 13:7; Proverbs 14:21; Proverbs 19:6; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 21:26; Proverbs 22:9; Proverbs 28:27; Proverbs 31:20; Ecclesiastes 11:1-2; Isaiah 32:8; Isaiah 60:7; Isaiah 60:9; Isaiah 60:17; Haggai 1:8; Haggai 2:18-19; Malachi 3:10-12; Matthew 6:1-4; Matthew 19:21-22; Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; Matthew 5:42; Luke 11:41; Luke 12:33-34; Luke 16:9; Acts 10:4; Acts 20:35; Romans 12:8; Romans 12:13; Romans 15:27; 1 Corinthians 13:3; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:7-9; 2 Corinthians 8:11-15; 2 Corinthians 8:24; 2 Corinthians 9:6-13; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:16; 1 Timothy 6:17-19; Philippians 1:14; Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:16; 1 John 3:17-18
Alms; Beneficence; Charitableness; Minister, A Sacred Teacher, Emoluments (Compensations) of; Poor, Duty to; Rich, The; Riches

Instances of:

King of Sodom to Abraham
Genesis 14:21

Jacob
Genesis 28:22

Pharaoh to Joseph's people
Genesis 45:18-20

Israelites at the erection of the tabernacle
Exodus 35:21-29; Exodus 36:3-7; Exodus 38:8; Exodus 4:7; Numbers 31:48-54; Joshua 18:1

Reubenites
Joshua 22:24-29

David
2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Chronicles 17:1; 2 Samuel 8:11; 1 Kings 7:51; 1 Kings 8:17-18; 1 Chronicles 21:24; 1 Chronicles 13:22; 1 Chronicles 26:26; 1 Chronicles 28:2; 1 Chronicles 29:2-5; 1 Chronicles 29:17; Psalms 132:1-5

Barzillai and others to David
2 Samuel 17:27-29; 2 Samuel 19:32

Araunah for sacrifice
2 Samuel 24:22-23

Joab to David
2 Samuel 12:26-28

Israelites' offerings for the temple
1 Chronicles 29:6-9; 1 Chronicles 29:16-17

Samuel
1 Chronicles 26:27-28

Solomon
1 Kings 4:29; 1 Kings 5:4-5; 2 Chronicles 2:1-6; 2 Chronicles 11:6; 1 Kings 7:51; 1 Kings 8:13

Queen of Sheba to Solomon
1 Kings 10:10

Asa and Abijam
1 Kings 15:15

Elisha toward Elijah
1 Kings 19:21

Jehoshaphat
2 Kings 12:18

Joash and his people
2 Kings 12:4-14; 2 Chronicles 24:4-14

David
1 Chronicles 16:3

Hezekiah
1 Chronicles 14:29; 2 Chronicles 30:1-12; 2 Chronicles 31:1-10; 2 Chronicles 31:21

Manasseh
2 Chronicles 33:16

Josiah
2 Kings 22:3-6; 2 Chronicles 34:8-13; 2 Chronicles 35:1-19

Jews after the captivity
Ezra 1:5-6; Ezra 2:68-69; Ezra 3:2-9; Ezra 5:2-6; Ezra 6:14-22; Ezra 8:25-35; Ezra 16:3; Nehemiah 4:6; Nehemiah 6:3; Nehemiah 7:70-72; Nehemiah 10:32-39; Nehemiah 13:12; Nehemiah 13:31; Haggai 1:12-14; Haggai 2:18-19

Cyrus
Ezra 1:2-4; Ezra 1:7-11; Ezra 3:7; Ezra 5:13-15; Ezra 6:3

Darius
Ezra 6:7-12

Artaxerxes
Ezra 7:13-27; Ezra 8:24-36

The magi
Matthew 2:11

Centurion
Luke 7:4-5

Mary Magdalene
Luke 8:2-3

The good Samaritan
Luke 10:33-35

Poor widow
Luke 21:2-4

Christians:

In Jerusalem
Acts 2:44-45; Acts 4:32-37

In Antioch
Acts 11:29

At Philippi
Philippians 4:18

At Corinth
2 Corinthians 8:19; 2 Corinthians 9:1-13

At Macedonia
2 Corinthians 8:1-4

People of Melita to Paul
Acts 28:10

LIBERAL'ITY, noun [Latin liberalitas. See Liberal.]

1. Munificence; bounty.

That liberality is but cast away, which makes us borrow what we cannot pay.

2. A particular act of generosity; a donation; a gratuity. In this sense, it has the plural number. A prudent man is not impoverished by his liberalities.

3. Largeness of mind; catholicism; that comprehensiveness of mind which includes other interests beside its own, and duly estimates in its decisions the value or importance of each. It is evidence of a noble mind to judge of men and things with liberality

Many treat the gospel with indifference under the name of liberality

4. Candor; impartiality.

LIB'ERALIZE, verb transitive To render liberal or catholic; to enlarge; to free from narrow views or prejudices; as, to liberalize the mind.

LIB'ERALIZED, participle passive Freed from narrow views and prejudices; made liberal.

LIB'ERALIZING, participle present tense Rendering liberal; divesting of narrow views and prejudices.

LIB'ERALLY, adverb

1. Bountifully; freely; largely; with munificence.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not. James 1:5.

2. With generous and impartial regard to other interests than our own; with enlarged views; without selfishness or meanness; as, to think or judge liberally of men and their actions.

3. Freely; not strictly; not literally.