illiberality

Other forms: illiberalities

Illiberality is a characteristic of being either extremely narrow-minded or ungenerous. Your brother's illiberality means he's the last person you'd ask to loan you ten dollars.

The older, less common sense of this word is the one you'd use to describe your overly thrifty friends and family members, or a government that's reluctant to spend money. The Latin root, illiberalis, means "ungenerous, mean, or stingy." Over the years, this noun has evolved to mean both ungentlemanly behavior and close-mindedness. It's particularly useful for politically restrictive views: "That government's illiberality eventually resulted in newspaper censorship."

Definitions of illiberality

1. noun

   a disposition not to be liberal (generous) with money
   antonyms:

   liberality

   the trait of being generous in behavior and temperament

   type of:

   stinginess

   a lack of generosity; a general unwillingness to part with money