take liberties

verb

To act on one's own authority, without asking for permission.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbtake liberties (third-person singular simple present takes liberties, present participle taking liberties, simple past took liberties, past participle taken liberties)

present singular third person takes liberties · participle present taking liberties · past took liberties · participle past taken liberties

  1. idiomaticTo act on one's own authority, without asking for permission.
  2. idiomaticTo behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
rantipole

Translations

Finnish ottaa vapauksia, ottaa vapauksia
  • ottaa vapauksiaact on one's own authority
  • ottaa vapauksiabehave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances
French prendre la liberté, prendre des libertés
  • prendre la libertéact on one's own authority
  • prendre des libertésbehave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances
Hungarian önhatalmúlag
  • önhatalmúlagact on one's own authority
Polish pozwalać sobie, za dużo sobie pozwalać
  • pozwalać sobieact on one's own authority
  • za dużo sobie pozwalaćbehave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances
Russian взять на себя́ сме́лость, допуска́ть во́льности
  • взять на себя́ сме́лость (vzjatʹ na sebjá smélostʹ)act on one's own authority
  • допуска́ть во́льности (dopuskátʹ vólʹnosti)behave disrespectfully, especially to make unwanted sexual advances
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: take liberties on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.