I. ˈfrē adjective
( fre·er ; fre·est )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English frēo; akin to Old High German frī free, Welsh rhydd, Sanskrit priya own, dear
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : having the legal and political rights of a citizen
b. : enjoying civil and political liberty
free citizens
c. : enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
d. : enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another
2.
a. : not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself
b. : determined by the choice of the actor or performer
free actions
c. : made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously
3.
a. : relieved from or lacking something and especially something unpleasant or burdensome
free from pain
a speech free of political rhetoric
— often used in combination
error -free
b. : not bound, confined, or detained by force
4.
a. : having no trade restrictions
b. : not subject to government regulation
c. of foreign exchange : not subject to restriction or official control
5.
a. : having no obligations (as to work) or commitments
I'll be free this evening
b. : not taken up with commitments or obligations
a free evening
6. : having a scope not restricted by qualification
a free variable
7.
a. : not obstructed, restricted, or impeded
free to leave
b. : not being used or occupied
waved with his free hand
c. : not hampered or restricted in its normal operation
8.
a. : not fastened
the free end of the rope
b. : not confined to a particular position or place
in twelve-tone music, no note is wholly free for it must hold its place in the series — J. L. Stewart
c. : capable of moving or turning in any direction
a free particle
d. : performed without apparatus
free tumbling
e. : done with artificial aids (as pitons) used only for protection against falling and not for support
a free climb
9.
a. : not parsimonious
free spending
b. : outspoken
c. : availing oneself of something without stint
d. : frank , open
e. : overly familiar or forward in action or attitude
f. : licentious
10. : not costing or charging anything
11.
a.
(1) : not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else : separate
free ores
a free surface of a bodily part
(2) : freestanding
a free column
b. : chemically uncombined
free oxygen
free acids
c. : not permanently attached but able to move about
a free electron in a metal
d. : capable of being used alone as a meaningful linguistic form
the word hats is a free form
— compare bound V,7
12.
a. : not literal or exact
free translation
b. : not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms
free skating
13. : favorable — used of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from dead ahead
14. : not allowing slavery
15. : open to all comers
• free·ness -nəs noun
•
- for free
Synonyms:
free , independent , sovereign , autonomous mean not subject to the rule or control of another. free stresses the complete absence of external rule and the full right to make all of one's own decisions
you're free to do as you like
independent implies a standing alone; applied to a state it implies lack of connection with any other having power to interfere with its citizens, laws, or policies
the colony's struggle to become independent
sovereign stresses the absence of a superior power and implies supremacy within a thing's own domain or sphere
separate and sovereign armed services
autonomous stresses independence in matters pertaining to self-government
in this denomination each congregation is regarded as autonomous
II. transitive verb
( freed ; free·ing )
Date: before 12th century
1.
a. : to cause to be free
b. : to relieve or rid of what restrains, confines, restricts, or embarrasses
free a person from debt
— often used with up
free up space on the hard drive
c. : disentangle , clear
2. obsolete : banish
• fre·er noun
Synonyms:
free , release , liberate , emancipate , manumit mean to set loose from restraint or constraint. free implies a usually permanent removal from whatever binds, confines, entangles, or oppresses
freed the animals from their cages
release suggests a setting loose from confinement, restraint, or a state of pressure or tension, often without implication of permanent liberation
released his anger on a punching bag
liberate stresses particularly the resulting state of liberty
liberated their country from the tyrant
emancipate implies the liberation of a person from subjection or domination
labor-saving devices emancipated us from household drudgery
manumit implies emancipation from slavery
the document manumitted the slaves
III. adverb
Date: 1559
1. : in a free manner
2. : without charge
3. : with the wind more than six points from dead ahead
sailing free