take the liberty

verb

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

“I took the liberty of adding your name to the list.”

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Meanings

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

present singular third person takes the liberty · participle present taking the liberty · past took the liberty · participle past taken the liberty

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

    I took the liberty of adding your name to the list.

    2 more examples

    —What about Dignam? says Bob Doran. Who's talking about ...? / —Dead! says Alf. He's no more dead than you are. / —Maybe so, says Joe. They took the liberty of burying him this morning anyhow.

    1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[Episode 12: Cyclops]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC

    The dials are all bunkum. While you were playing I took the liberty of altering them and for a whole hand the dials indicated that you must inevitably be holding eight clubs and four spades. All the time you were leading out hearts and diamonds and the automaton serenely followed suit.

    1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLC

Translations

Czech dovolit si
  • dovolit siact on one’s own authority
Finnish ottaa vapaus
  • ottaa vapausact on one’s own authority
French prendre la liberté
  • prendre la libertéact on one’s own authority
German sich erlauben, sich die Freiheit nehmen
  • sich erlaubenact on one’s own authority
  • sich die Freiheit nehmenact on one’s own authority
Greek παίρνω το θάρρος, παίρνω την πρωτοβουλία
  • παίρνω το θάρρος (paírno to thárros)act on one’s own authority
  • παίρνω την πρωτοβουλία (paírno tin protovoulía)act on one’s own authority
Icelandic taka sér bessaleyfi
  • taka sér bessaleyfiact on one’s own authority
Polish pozwalać sobie
  • pozwalać sobieact on one’s own authority
Portuguese tomar a liberdade
  • tomar a liberdadeact on one’s own authority
Russian брать на себя́ сме́лость, взять на себя́ сме́лость
  • брать на себя́ сме́лость (bratʹ na sebjá smélostʹ)act on one’s own authority
  • взять на себя́ сме́лость (vzjatʹ na sebjá smélostʹ)act on one’s own authority
  • позволя́ть себе́ (pozvoljátʹ sebé)act on one’s own authority
  • позво́лить себе́ (pozvólitʹ sebé)act on one’s own authority
Swedish ta sig friheten
  • ta sig frihetenact on one’s own authority
Cite this entry
APA

take the liberty. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20liberty

MLA

“take the liberty.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20liberty. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take the liberty,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20liberty.

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