free
enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery: a land of free people.
pertaining to or reserved for those who enjoy personal liberty: They were thankful to be living on free soil.
existing under, characterized by, or possessing civil and political liberties that are, as a rule, constitutionally guaranteed by representative government: the free nations of the world.
enjoying political autonomy, as a people or country not under foreign rule; independent.
exempt from external authority, interference, restriction, etc., as a person or one's will, thought, choice, action, etc.; independent; unrestricted.
able to do something at will; at liberty: free to choose.
clear of obstructions or obstacles, as a road or corridor: The highway is now free of fallen rock.
not occupied or in use; available: I think the main conference room is free, so we can meet there.I'm moving to a new apartment, and that’s taking up most of my free time.
exempt or released from something specified that controls, restrains, burdens, etc. (usually followed by from or of): free from worry;free of taxes.: See also -free.
having immunity or being safe (usually followed by from): free from danger.
provided without, or not subject to, a charge or payment: free parking;a free sample.
given without consideration of a return or reward: a free offer of legal advice.
unimpeded, as motion or movement; easy, firm, or swift.
not held fast; loose; unattached: to get one's arm free.
not joined to or in contact with something else: The free end of the cantilever sagged.
acting without self-restraint or reserve: to be too free with one's tongue.
ready or generous in giving; liberal; lavish: to be free with one's advice.
given readily or in profusion; unstinted.
frank and open; unconstrained, unceremonious, or familiar.
unrestrained by decency; loose or licentious: free behavior.
not subject to special regulations, restrictions, duties, etc.: The ship was given free passage.
of, relating to, or characterized by free enterprise: a free economy.
that may be used by or is open to all: a free market.
engaged in by all present; general: a free fight.
not literal, as a translation, adaptation, or the like; loose.
uncombined chemically: free oxygen.
traveling without power; under no force except that of gravity or inertia: free flight.
Phonetics. (of a vowel) situated in an open syllable (opposed to checked).
at liberty to enter and enjoy at will (usually followed by of): to be free of a friend's house.
not subject to rules, set forms, etc.: The young students had an hour of free play between classes.
easily worked, as stone, land, etc.
Mathematics. (of a vector) having specified magnitude and direction but no specified initial point.: Compare bound1 (def. 9).
Also large .Nautical. (of a wind) nearly on the quarter, so that a sailing vessel may sail free.
not containing a specified substance (usually followed by of or from): Our deli meats are free of additives.: See also -free.
(of a linguistic form) occurring as an independent construction, without necessary combination with other forms, as most words.: Compare bound1 (def. 11).
without cost, payment, or charge.
in a free manner; freely.
Nautical. away from the wind, so that a sailing vessel need not be close-hauled: running free.
to make free; set at liberty; release from bondage, imprisonment, or restraint.
to exempt or deliver (usually followed by from).
to relieve or rid (usually followed by of): to free oneself of responsibility.
to disengage; clear (usually followed by from or of).
free up,
to release, as from restrictions: Congress voted to free up funds for the new highway system.
to disentangle: It took an hour to free up the traffic jam.
Idioms about free
for free, Informal. without charge: The tailor mended my jacket for free.
free and clear, Law. without any encumbrance, as a lien or mortgage: They owned their house free and clear.
free and easy,
unrestrained; casual; informal.
excessively or inappropriately casual; presumptuous.
make free with,
to use as one's own; help oneself to: If you make free with their liquor, you won't be invited again.
to treat with too much familiarity; take liberties with.
set free, to release; liberate; free: The prisoners were set free.
with a free hand, generously; freely; openhandedly: He entertains visitors with a free hand.
Origin of free
1synonym study For free
Other words from free
- free·ness, noun
- o·ver·free, adjective
- o·ver·free·ly, adverb
- qua·si-free, adjective
- qua·si-free·ly, adverb
- un·free, verb (used with object), un·freed, un·free·ing, adjective
- un·free·ly, adverb
Other definitions for -free (2 of 2)
a combining form with the general sense “free of or from something specified,” and typically meaning “not having, containing, subject to, or affected by something unwanted, burdensome, etc.”: error-free;gluten-free;tax-free;germfree.
- See also free (defs. 9, 34).
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use free in a sentence
There are many verses full of power, which move with the free easy motion of the literary athlete.
Imaginations and Reveries | (A.E.) George William Russell
British Dictionary definitions for free (1 of 2)
/ (friː) /
able to act at will; not under compulsion or restraint
having personal rights or liberty; not enslaved or confined
(as noun): land of the free
(often postpositive and foll by from) not subject (to) or restricted (by some regulation, constraint, etc); exempt: a free market; free from pain
(of a country, etc) autonomous or independent
exempt from external direction or restriction; not forced or induced: free will
not subject to conventional constraints: free verse
(of jazz) totally improvised, with no preset melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic basis
not exact or literal: a free translation
costing nothing; provided without charge: free entertainment
law (of property)
not subject to payment of rent or performance of services; freehold
not subject to any burden or charge, such as a mortgage or lien; unencumbered
(postpositive; often foll by of or with) ready or generous in using or giving; liberal; lavish: free with advice
unrestrained by propriety or good manners; licentious
not occupied or in use; available: a free cubicle
not occupied or busy; without previous engagements: I'm not free until Wednesday
open or available to all; public
without charge to the subscriber or user: freepost; freephone
not fixed or joined; loose: the free end of a chain
without obstruction or impediment: free passage
chem chemically uncombined: free nitrogen
phonetics denoting a vowel that can occur in an open syllable, such as the vowel in see as opposed to the vowel in cat
grammar denoting a morpheme that can occur as a separate word: Compare bound 1 (def. 8a)
logic denoting an occurrence of a variable not bound by a quantifier: Compare bound 1 (def. 9)
(of some materials, such as certain kinds of stone) easily worked
nautical (of the wind) blowing from the quarter
feel free (usually imperative) to regard oneself as having permission to perform a specified action
for free not standard without charge or cost
free and easy casual or tolerant; easy-going
make free with to take liberties with; behave too familiarly towards
in a free manner; freely
without charge or cost
nautical with the wind blowing from the quarter: a yacht sailing free
(sometimes foll by up) to set at liberty; release
to remove obstructions, attachments, or impediments from; disengage
(often foll by of or from) to relieve or rid (of obstacles, pain, etc)
informal a freesheet
Origin of free
1Derived forms of free
- freer, noun
- freely, adverb
- freeness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for -free (2 of 2)
free from: trouble-free; lead-free petrol
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with free
In addition to the idioms beginning with free
- free agent
- free and clear
- free and easy
- free as a bird
- free enterprise
- free fall
- free hand
- free lunch
- free rein
also see:
- breathe easy (freely)
- feel free
- footloose and fancy-free
- for free
- get off (scot-free)
- home free
- make free with
- of one's own accord (free will)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse