Il*lib"er*al (?), a. [L. illiberalis; pref. il- not + liberalis liberal: cf. F. illibéral.] 1. Not liberal; not free or generous; close; niggardly; mean; sordid. "A thrifty and illiberal hand." Mason.

2. Indicating a lack of breeding, culture, and the like; ignoble; rude; narrow-minded; disingenuous.

3. Not well authorized or elegant; as, illiberal words in Latin. [R.] Chesterfield.

• Restrictive to individual choice and freedom; authoritarian.
       quotations:
       *"Unless the administration compels all workers to invest in life cycle accounts -- an illiberal but nonetheless sensible idea -- this particular danger cannot be eliminated." — Washington Post, February 20, 2005
       *"Behind Europe's commitment to liberal democracy lurks an illiberal tradition. Every time freedom has failed in Europe, it is to that tradition - of violent repression, totalitarianism, xenophobia, and intolerance - that Europeans have reverted." — Jerusalem Post, December 15, 2004