/ ˈfriːli; NAmE / adverb
1.
without anyone trying to prevent or control sth :
the country's first freely elected president
EU citizens can now travel freely between member states.
2.
without anything stopping the movement or flow of sth :
When the gate is raised, the water can flow freely.
Traffic is now moving more freely following an earlier accident.
The book is now freely available in the shops (= it is not difficult to get a copy) .
( figurative )
The wine flowed freely (= there was a lot of it to drink) .
3.
without trying to avoid the truth even though it might be unpleasant or embarrassing :
I freely admit that I made a mistake.
4.
in an honest way without worrying about what people will say or do :
For the first time he was able to speak freely without the fear of reprisals against his family.
5.
in a willing and generous way :
Millions of people gave freely in response to the appeal for the victims of the earthquake.
6.
a piece of writing that is translated freely is not translated exactly but the general meaning is given