take the liberty

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

take 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)

1. (idiomatic) To act on one's own authority, without asking for permission.

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

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

     —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.

Usage notes

Typically used as take the liberty of doing something.

Translations

act on one’s own authority

• Czech: dovolit si (cs)
• Finnish: ottaa vapaus
• French: prendre la liberté (fr)
• German: sich erlauben (de), sich die Freiheit nehmen
• Greek: παίρνω το θάρρος (paírno to thárros), παίρνω την πρωτοβουλία (paírno tin protovoulía)
• Icelandic: taka sér bessaleyfi
• Polish: pozwalać sobie (pl)
• Portuguese: tomar a liberdade
• Russian: брать на себя́ сме́лость impf (bratʹ na sebjá smélostʹ), взять на себя́ сме́лость pf (vzjatʹ na sebjá smélostʹ), позволя́ть себе́ (ru) impf (pozvoljátʹ sebé), позво́лить себе́ (ru) pf (pozvólitʹ sebé)
• Swedish: ta sig friheten

See also

• take liberties