liberty
/ˈlɪbətɪ/- the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behaviour, or political views（生活方式、行为、政治观点不受官方压制的）自由：
compulsory retirement would interfere with individual liberty.
强制性退休会干涉个人自由。
- count noun（一般作 liberties）an instance of this; a right or privilege, especially a statutory one自由权, 法定权利, 或特权：
the Bill of Rights was intended to secure basic civil liberties.
《人权法案》旨在确保基本公民权利。
- the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved自由（指不被囚禁或不受奴役的人身自由）：
people who attacked phone boxes would lose their liberty.
破坏公用电话亭的人会被剥夺自由。
Liberty
the personification of liberty as a female figure自由女神像。
- the power or scope to act as one pleases自由活动的权力（或范围）：
individuals should enjoy the liberty to pursue their own interests and preferences.
个人应当享受自由, 追求自己的利益和喜好。
- Philosophy a person's freedom from control by fate or necessity【哲】意志自由, 选择自由。
- count noun informal a presumptuous remark or action〈非正式〉自以为是的言语; 专断的行动：
how did he know what she was thinking? - it was a liberty!
他怎么能知道她在想什么？太自以为是了！
- Nautical shore leave granted to a sailor【航海】（水手的）上岸休假。
at liberty
- not imprisoned自由的, 不受监禁的：
he was at liberty for three months before he was recaptured.
他自由了三个月后又被抓进去了。
- allowed or entitled to do something被允许做…, 有权做…：
competent adults are generally at liberty to refuse medical treatment.
有自我负责能力的成人一般都有拒绝治疗的权利。
take liberties
- behave in an unduly familiar manner towards a person过分亲昵, 过于随便：
you've taken too many liberties with me.
你对我太随便了。
- treat something freely, without strict faithfulness to the facts or to an original随意改变, 自由处理：
the scriptwriter has taken few liberties with the original narrative.
剧本作者对原作故事仅作了个别的自由处理。
take the liberty
- venture to do something without first asking permission擅自做某事：
I have taken the liberty of submitting an idea to several of their research departments.
我已自作主张地向他们的几个研究部门提出了一个想法。