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limousine liberal

(US, pejorative) A wealthy person, liberal in politics but insulated from any adverse consequences of the policies they support.

ˈlɪməˌzin ˈlɪbɚəlDocumented since 1960s1960sGen Xhistorical132 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
🗺️ Regional & Other
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Etymology timeline

Born ~1969 · no dated citations yet
1969BornToday, 2026
Boomer / counterculture eraSee decade cohort →

Definitions

#1·Apr 27, 2026

(US, pejorative) A wealthy person, liberal in politics but insulated from any adverse consequences of the policies they support.

As soon as the word comes out of your mouth your own servant is going to size you up as one of those limousine liberals, or whatever epithet they use, who are busy pouring white soul all over the black movement, and would you do as much …
Origin: First appeared c. 1969. Coined by Mario Procaccino in reference to New York mayor John Lindsay. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"limousine liberal" means: A wealthy person, liberal in politics but insulated from any adverse consequences of the policies they support.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"limousine liberal" means: A wealthy person, liberal in politics but insulated from any adverse consequences of the policies they support.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read

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For specific readers

"limousine liberal" means: A wealthy person, liberal in politics but insulated from any adverse consequences of the policies they support.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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