DCHP-1 Online

Liberal Party

• 1 Hist. in colonial times, the reform group.

  See also: Clear Grit Party  Liberal ((n.)) (def. 1)  

  • 1834  Mr. Mackenzie was then considered the nominal, if not official, head of the liberal party.
  • 1864  The Government, with the aid of almost the entire Liberal party, of Upper Canada, has taken in hand the task of settling forever the sectional difficulties between Upper and Lower Canada

• 2 in modern contexts, the political party descended from the moderate reform groups and generally considered a middle-of-the-road party in modern Canadian politics; also, any of the several related provincial parties.

  • 1966  The usually homogeneous Liberal party is splitting up into two factions. . . .