liberty ship

noun

A simple, cheap cargo ship built in the United States during World War II.

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Meanings

nounliberty ship (plural liberty ships)

plural liberty ships

  1. nauticalA simple, cheap cargo ship built in the United States during World War II.

Origin

Originally used in a speech by then U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt when the first of the ships were launched to emphasize their purpose, and then later spread.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

liberty ship. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/liberty%20ship

MLA

“liberty ship.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/liberty%20ship. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “liberty ship,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/liberty%20ship.

Source: liberty ship on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.