'Liberal' can be used as an adjective to describe a person who is open to new ways of thinking or embraces new ideas and opinions: "I'm sending my son to this school because it's liberal in its thinking." As a noun, it is used to describe a person who subscribes to the political philosophy of Liberalism (based in equality, liberty and consent of the governed). "Ask him for his views on the subject - he is a liberal man." Liberal can also mean 'broad, or widely understood' such as a 'liberal education', which means a broad education in many areas of knowledge. A 'liberal understanding' is a broad understanding of something. This word can also be used to talk about a generous or large amount: "A liberal serving of wine accompanied the meal." "She was too liberal in sharing her opinions. She should have kept them to herself." This is a word you will hear often in political discussions, but also in professional and social contexts.