free
1 of 3adjective
ˈfrē 
freer; freest
1
: not costing or charging anything
a free school
a free ticket
2
a
: having the legal and political rights of a citizen
For many African Americans, celebrating the Fourth of July as the day Americans became free from British rule feels inapplicable since our ancestors were not free.—
Christen A. Johnson
Christen A. Johnson b
: enjoying civil and political liberty
free citizens
c
: enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
This is a free country.
d
: enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another
You are free to do whatever you want.
3
a
: not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself
a player free to negotiate a contract with any team
b
: determined by the choice of the actor or performer
free actions
c
: made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously
gave his free consent
4
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
The prisoner is now free.
5
a
: having no trade restrictions
duty-free imports
b
: not subject to government regulation
free competition
c
of foreign exchange : not subject to restriction or official control
6
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
7
: having a scope not restricted by qualification
a free variable
8
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
9
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
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 (such as pitons) used only for protection against falling and not for support
a free climb
10
a
: not parsimonious
free spending
b
: outspoken
is free in his criticism
c
: availing oneself of something without stint
she's very free with her money
d
: frank, open
e
: overly familiar or forward in action or attitude
a young man who had been much too free with the ladies of the town—Harvey Graham
Harvey Graham f
: licentious
inexcusably free talk before the ladies
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 entry 1 sense 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
was admitted to the Union as a free state
15
: open to all comers
that most pleasurable of Anglo-Saxon pastimes, a free fight—Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill freeness
ˈfrē-nəs
noun free
2 of 3adverb
1
: in a free manner
2
: without charge
3
: with the wind more than six points from dead ahead
sailing free
free
3 of 3verb
freed; freeing; frees
transitive verb
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
Did you know?
Can Something Be "For free?"
The word free is often encountered on the heels of the word for, and this combination sets some people’s teeth on edge. The main objection to the phrase for free is that, in this instance, free functions as an adverb rather than a noun and therefore should not be in the intimate company of the preposition for. Following this line of reasoning, a more correct phrasing would be to say that something is offered for nothing, for no charge, or some other combination of preposition + noun. Unfortunately for critics of the expression, English users do not agree. Despite its recent adoption in the mid-20th century and its informality, for free is in widespread use and is generally accepted in standard speech and writing.
Synonyms
Adjective
- autonomous
- freestanding
- independent
- self-governed
- self-governing
- self-ruling
- separate
- sovereign
- sovran
Verb
- discharge
- disenthrall
- disenthral
- emancipate
- enfranchise
- enlarge
- liberate
- loose
- loosen
- manumit
- release
- spring
- unbind
- uncage
- unchain
- unfetter
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective They're giving out free tickets to the show. The school newsletter is free. After 10 years in jail, he was finally a free man. The animal struggled to get free of the trap. His legs became caught in the net, and he was unable to get himself free. Adverb The gate opened, and the animals ran free. Buy one, get one free. Verb The gunman freed two of the hostages. The animals were freed from their cages. His legs became tangled in the net, and he was unable to free himself. He was unable to free his legs from the net. The animal struggled to free itself from the trap. Hiring an assistant has freed him to spend more time with his family. She encourages her students to free their imaginations. See More
Recent Examples on the WebTom Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023 The history of low or nonexistent payments from social platforms has left many creators with low expectations and accustomed to working for free. —Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2023 Get police blotters by email every weekday for free with our new Police Blotter newsletter. —Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 3 Feb. 2023 The life-saving medication, also known by the brand names Narcan, Zimhi and others, is available for free at eight sites in Orange County, including the LGBT+ Center, 946 N. Mills Ave. —Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2023 Viewers can also watch the show on CBS.com and the CBS app for free with a TV provider sign-in. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2023 For vaccines, nearly every person should be able to access them for free, at least for the time being. —Julia Landwehr, Health, 2 Feb. 2023 Home Test to Treat is a new project from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at providing exclusively virtual COVID care for free, including rapid tests, telehealth sessions, treatments. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 2 Feb. 2023 The PlayStation Plus Collection offers 20 PS4 classic games for free through PlayStation Plus, but only on PS5. —PCMAG, 2 Feb. 2023 Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023 Inspired by the free-flowing vibe of New Orleans, the notion of leisurely drinking beer and wine outdoors in Alabama would have been almost unthinkable a generation ago in the heart of the Bible Belt. —al, 29 Jan. 2023 Teams tend to score more in the first half when the game is more wide-open and free-flowing. —Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2023 Rogen’s free-flowing riff then veered into the skewering the trend of award show telecasts that honor other kudocasts, such as the Emmy Awards presenting trophies to the producers of the Academy Awards. —William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2023 Their wide-leg silhouette is like Holmes', but more free-flowing and comfy-looking. —Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2023 Fitting for a night known for its free-flowing Champagne. —Isabel Lord, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2023 Those members promise more open and free-flowing debates and are insisting on 72 hours to read legislation ahead of votes. —Lisa Mascaro, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Jan. 2023 Those members promise more open and free-flowing debates and are insisting on 72 hours to read legislation ahead of votes. —Lisa Mascaro, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Jan. 2023 Dallas News, 29 Jan. 2023 Posing for Playboy later in life would free her from her shyness and insecurities. —Dana Feldman, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023 There, his reporting helped free two innocent people from incarceration, including one man who was 20 years into a life sentence and one facing life. —Joshua Sharpe, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Jan. 2023 As the cost to build and subsidize new homes skyrockets, federal investment in housing could free millions of Americans from poverty. —Eric Adams, CNN, 13 Dec. 2022 After the crash, the officer and a nearby resident helped free the suspect from his car, using a crowbar to get the door open, according to police. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2022 These types of partnerships free the private parties from having to undergo a competitive bidding process. —James Bandler, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2022 Accepting the theory would not free state legislatures from oversight by federal courts and Congress, which has its own constitutional mandate to write election laws. —Michael Wines, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022 Downsizing to a smaller home could free up cash to add to your retirement savings, noted Jason Stein, a certified financial planner in Irvine. —Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2022 See More
Adjective
In the meantime, Eisai has an assistance program that provides Leqembi for free to some patients, including those on Medicare. —Tom Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023 The history of low or nonexistent payments from social platforms has left many creators with low expectations and accustomed to working for free. —Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2023 Get police blotters by email every weekday for free with our new Police Blotter newsletter. —Thomas Jewell, cleveland, 3 Feb. 2023 The life-saving medication, also known by the brand names Narcan, Zimhi and others, is available for free at eight sites in Orange County, including the LGBT+ Center, 946 N. Mills Ave. —Stephen Hudak, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Feb. 2023 Viewers can also watch the show on CBS.com and the CBS app for free with a TV provider sign-in. —Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2023 For vaccines, nearly every person should be able to access them for free, at least for the time being. —Julia Landwehr, Health, 2 Feb. 2023 Home Test to Treat is a new project from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) aimed at providing exclusively virtual COVID care for free, including rapid tests, telehealth sessions, treatments. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 2 Feb. 2023 The PlayStation Plus Collection offers 20 PS4 classic games for free through PlayStation Plus, but only on PS5. —PCMAG, 2 Feb. 2023 Adverb
The only changes to the driveline were the addition of a free-flowing dual-exhaust system and a 3.23:1 limited-slip differential. —Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 3 Feb. 2023 Inspired by the free-flowing vibe of New Orleans, the notion of leisurely drinking beer and wine outdoors in Alabama would have been almost unthinkable a generation ago in the heart of the Bible Belt. —al, 29 Jan. 2023 Teams tend to score more in the first half when the game is more wide-open and free-flowing. —Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2023 Rogen’s free-flowing riff then veered into the skewering the trend of award show telecasts that honor other kudocasts, such as the Emmy Awards presenting trophies to the producers of the Academy Awards. —William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2023 Their wide-leg silhouette is like Holmes', but more free-flowing and comfy-looking. —Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2023 Fitting for a night known for its free-flowing Champagne. —Isabel Lord, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2023 Those members promise more open and free-flowing debates and are insisting on 72 hours to read legislation ahead of votes. —Lisa Mascaro, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Jan. 2023 Those members promise more open and free-flowing debates and are insisting on 72 hours to read legislation ahead of votes. —Lisa Mascaro, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Jan. 2023 Verb
My Dumbest Investment From B.F., online: My worst investing move was selling shares of Amazon.com to free up cash with which to buy other stocks. —Dallas News, 29 Jan. 2023 Posing for Playboy later in life would free her from her shyness and insecurities. —Dana Feldman, Forbes, 28 Jan. 2023 There, his reporting helped free two innocent people from incarceration, including one man who was 20 years into a life sentence and one facing life. —Joshua Sharpe, San Francisco Chronicle, 27 Jan. 2023 As the cost to build and subsidize new homes skyrockets, federal investment in housing could free millions of Americans from poverty. —Eric Adams, CNN, 13 Dec. 2022 After the crash, the officer and a nearby resident helped free the suspect from his car, using a crowbar to get the door open, according to police. —San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Dec. 2022 These types of partnerships free the private parties from having to undergo a competitive bidding process. —James Bandler, ProPublica, 12 Dec. 2022 Accepting the theory would not free state legislatures from oversight by federal courts and Congress, which has its own constitutional mandate to write election laws. —Michael Wines, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022 Downsizing to a smaller home could free up cash to add to your retirement savings, noted Jason Stein, a certified financial planner in Irvine. —Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective, Adverb, and Verb
Middle English, from Old English frēo; akin to Old High German frī free, Welsh rhydd, Sanskrit priya own, dear
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Adverb
1559, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing free
Kids Definition
free
1 of 3 adjective ˈfrē
freer
ˈfrē-ər
; freest ˈfrē-əst
1
a
: having liberty : not being a slave
free citizens
b
: not controlled by others : independent
a free country
a free press
2
a
: released or not suffering from something unpleasant or painful
free from worry
free from disease
b
: not bound or contained by or as if by force
you are free to leave
3
: having nothing that must be done instead
I'm free tomorrow night
4
a
: not blocked : clear
free space
b
: not being used or occupied
free time
5
: not fastened
the free end of the rope
6
: not cheap : generous
a free spender
7
: not costing or charging anything
free tickets
8
: not held back by fear or distrust
free expression of opinion
9
: not combined with something else
free oxygen
10
: able to be used alone as a meaningful unit of language
the word "hats" is a free form
11
: not restricted by or limited to the usual forms
free skating
freely adverb
free
2 of 3 verb freed; freeing
: to make or set free
free
3 of 3 adverb1
: in a free manner
2
: without charge
Medical Definition
free
adjective ˈfrē
freer; freest
1
a
: relieved from or lacking something and especially something unpleasant or burdensome
free from pain
b
: not bound or confined by force
upon opening the skull a considerable amount of free blood is noted—H. G. Armstrong
H. G. Armstrong2
a(1)
: not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else
a free surface of a bodily part
(2)
: having the bare axon exposed in tissue
a free nerve ending
b
: not chemically combined
free calcium
c
: not permanently attached but able to move about
a free electron in a metal
3
: having all living connections severed before removal to another site
a free graft
research … in free flap transfers—B. R. Alford
B. R. Alford Legal Definition
free
1 of 2 adjective1
a
: having the legal and political rights of a citizen
b
: enjoying civil and political liberty
a free people
c
: enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent States—Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence d
: not subject to the control or domination of another
2
: made or done as a matter of choice and right : not compelled or restricted
no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof—U.S. Constitution amend. I
U.S. Constitution amend. Ia free and voluntary confession
3
: relieved from or lacking a burden (as a lien or other encumbrance on title)
a buyer in ordinary course of business…takes free of a security interest created by the buyer's seller—Uniform Commercial Code
Uniform Commercial Code4
: not bound, confined, or detained by force
free on bail
5
a
: having no trade restrictions
b
: not subject to government regulation
c
of foreign exchange : not subject to restriction or official control
6
: not costing or charging anything
freely adverb
free
2 of 2 transitive verb freed; freeing
1
: to cause to be free
2
: to relieve or rid of what constrains, confines, restricts, or burdens
frees
verb
1
as in liberates
to set free (as from slavery or confinement) a global crusade to free Nelson Mandela from a South African prison had emerged Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- liberates
- releases
- rescues
- saves
- loosens
- emancipates
- unchains
- enlarges
- unbinds
- springs
- looses
- enfranchises
- manumits
- unfetters
- discharges
- turns loose
- uncages
- redeems
- disenthralls
- disenthrals
- extricates
- disengages
- paroles
- ransoms
- unshackles
- delivers
- disentangles
- disencumbers
- bails (out)
- disembarrasses
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- restrains
- binds
- confines
- fetters
- imprisons
- enchains
- shackles
- enslaves
- commits
- handcuffs
- locks (up)
- subdues
- subjugates
- conquers
- trammels
- jails
- interns
- incarcerates
- manacles
- immures
2
as in opens
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions we'll free the river by breaking up the ice jam Synonyms & Similar Words
- opens
- clears
- unplugs
- facilitates
- eases
- smooths
- unclogs
- unstops
- smoothes
- loosens (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blocks
- closes
- stops
- hinders
- impedes
- obstructs
- hampers
- constricts
- plugs (up)
- clogs (up)
- encumbers
- interferes (with)
- dams (up)
- trammels
- barricades
- blockades
3
as in clears
to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way would you mind freeing up the work area so I can work? Synonyms & Similar Words
- opens
- clears
- unblocks
- facilitates
- eases
- smooths
- unplugs
- smoothes
- unclogs
- unstops
- strips
- unclutters
- unchokes
- loosens (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- blocks
- obstructs
- closes
- stops
- clogs
- plugs
- dams
- clutters (up)
4
as in rids
to set (a person or thing) free of something that encumbers a phone call would free your parents from worry Synonyms & Similar Words
- rids
- clears
- relieves
- liberates
- unburdens
- divests
- disburdens
- loosens
- disencumbers
- emancipates
- rescues
- unchains
- unbinds
- redeems
- looses
- springs
- releases
- enfranchises
- manumits
- extricates
- disengages
- unfetters
- discharges
- delivers
- disentangles
- uncages
- bails (out)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- burdens
- encumbers
- restrains
- saddles
- hampers
- subjects
- weights (down)
- fetters
- shackles
- weighs down
- bogs (down)
5
as in saves
to set free from entanglement or difficulty this plan should free us from debt Synonyms & Similar Words
- liberates
- saves
- redeems
- disengages
- extricates
- rescues
- releases
- disentangles
- untangles
- clears
- cuts loose
- unburdens
- disembarrasses
- delivers
- unties
- unravels
- disburdens
- disencumbers
- untwines
- unsnarls
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- hinders
- impedes
- obstructs
- hampers
- entangles
- blocks
- embroils
- weighs
- loads
- burdens
- encumbers