free ‧ dom S3 W2 /ˈfriːdəm/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ freebie , ↑ freedom ; adverb : ↑ free , ↑ freely ; verb : ↑ free ; adjective : ↑ free ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] the right to do what you want without being controlled or restricted by anyone ⇨ liberty :
People here like their freedom and privacy.
the rights and freedoms of citizens
freedom to do something
We do not have the freedom to do just what we like.
the freedom to vote
freedom of
Tighter security measures are restricting our freedom of movement (=the right to travel) .
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression.
2 . [uncountable] the state of being free and allowed to do what you want:
He thinks children have too much freedom these days.
freedom to do something
The wheelchair gives him the freedom to go out on his own.
Tracksuits are designed to give you freedom of movement (=the ability to move your body freely) .
3 . [uncountable] the state of being free because you are not in prison OPP captivity , imprisonment :
The prisoner was recaptured after only 48 hours of freedom.
4 . freedom from something the state of not being affected by something that makes you worried, unhappy, afraid etc
freedom from fear/pain/worry etc
The contraceptive pill gave women freedom from the fear of pregnancy.
5 . freedom of choice the right or ability to choose whatever you want to do or have:
The new satellite TV channels offer viewers greater freedom of choice.
6 . freedom of information the legal right of people in some countries to see information which the government has about people and organizations
7 . freedom of the city in Britain, an honour given by a city to someone who has done something special
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ adjectives
▪ total/complete freedom
Riding a motorbike gives me a feeling of total freedom.
▪ great/considerable freedom
Teachers are given considerable freedom to choose their teaching methods.
▪ personal/individual freedom
Our personal freedom is being restricted more and more.
▪ political/religious freedom (=freedom to have any political/religious beliefs )
The people were given political freedom for the first time in the country's history.
▪ academic freedom (=freedom to teach or study any ideas)
She refused, on the grounds of academic freedom, to amend the course.
▪ artistic freedom (=freedom to create anything as an artist)
Banning the film would be an unacceptable restriction on artistic freedom.
■ verbs
▪ have the freedom to do something
We have the freedom to travel nearly anywhere in the world.
▪ enjoy freedom
Filmmakers today enjoy more freedom than in the past.
■ phrases
▪ the struggle/fight for freedom
The student movement played an important role in the struggle for political freedom.
▪ freedom of speech/expression (=the legal right to say what you want)
We will defend freedom of speech and oppose censorship.
▪ freedom of religion/worship (=the right to hold/practise any religious belief)
Liberal newspapers made an effort to secure religious toleration and freedom of worship.
▪ freedom of movement (=the right or ability to travel, or the ability to move your body freely)
Thanks to the automobile, Americans had a previously unknown freedom of movement.
|
The tight uniforms restrict their freedom of movement.
▪ freedom of assembly (=the right of people to meet as a group for a particular purpose)
Restrictions on freedom of assembly were gradually relaxed.
▪ the freedom of the press (=the right of newspapers to publish what they like, free from political control)
The freedom of the press is written into the country's constitution.