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free

[free]

adjective, fre⋅er, fre⋅est, adverb, verb, freed, free⋅ing.

–adjective

1.	enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery: a land of free people.

2.	pertaining to or reserved for those who enjoy personal liberty: They were thankful to be living on free soil.

3.	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.

4.	enjoying political autonomy, as a people or country not under foreign rule; independent.

5.	exempt from external authority, interference, restriction, etc., as a person or one's will, thought, choice, action, etc.; independent; unrestricted.

6.	able to do something at will; at liberty: free to choose.

7.	clear of obstructions or obstacles, as a road or corridor: The highway is now free of fallen rock.

8.	not occupied or in use: I'll try to phone her again if the line is free.

9.	exempt or released from something specified that controls, restrains, burdens, etc. (usually fol. by from or of): free from worry; free of taxes.

10.	having immunity or being safe (usually fol. by from): free from danger.

11.	provided without, or not subject to, a charge or payment: free parking; a free sample.

12.	given without consideration of a return or reward: a free offer of legal advice.

13.	unimpeded, as motion or movement; easy, firm, or swift.

14.	not held fast; loose; unattached: to get one's arm free.

15.	not joined to or in contact with something else: The free end of the cantilever sagged.

16.	acting without self-restraint or reserve: to be too free with one's tongue.

17.	ready or generous in giving; liberal; lavish: to be free with one's advice.

18.	given readily or in profusion; unstinted.

19.	frank and open; unconstrained, unceremonious, or familiar.

20.	unrestrained by decency; loose or licentious: free behavior.

21.	not subject to special regulations, restrictions, duties, etc.: The ship was given free passage.

22.	of, pertaining to, or characterized by free enterprise: a free economy.

23.	that may be used by or is open to all: a free market.

24.	engaged in by all present; general: a free fight.

25.	not literal, as a translation, adaptation, or the like; loose.

26.	uncombined chemically: free oxygen.

27.	traveling without power; under no force except that of gravity or inertia: free flight.

28.	Phonetics. (of a vowel) situated in an open syllable (opposed to checked ).

29.	at liberty to enter and enjoy at will (usually fol. by of): to be free of a friend's house.

30.	not subject to rules, set forms, etc.: The young students had an hour of free play between classes.

31.	easily worked, as stone, land, etc.

32.	Mathematics. (of a vector) having specified magnitude and direction but no specified initial point. Compare bound ¹ (def. 9).

33.	Also, large. Nautical. (of a wind) nearly on the quarter, so that a sailing vessel may sail free.

34.	not containing a specified substance (often used in combination): a sugar-free soft drink.

35.	(of a linguistic form) occurring as an independent construction, without necessary combination with other forms, as most words. Compare bound ¹ (def. 11).

36.	without cost, payment, or charge.

–adverb

37.	in a free manner; freely.

38.	Nautical. away from the wind, so that a sailing vessel need not be close-hauled: running free.

–verb (used with object)

39.	to make free; set at liberty; release from bondage, imprisonment, or restraint.

40.	to exempt or deliver (usually fol. by from).

41.	to relieve or rid (usually fol. by of): to free oneself of responsibility.

42.	to disengage; clear (usually fol. by from or of).

—Verb phrase

43.

free up,

a.	to release, as from restrictions: Congress voted to free up funds for the new highway system.

b.	to disentangle: It took an hour to free up the traffic jam.

—Idioms

44.	for free, Informal. without charge: The tailor mended my jacket for free.

45.	free and clear, Law. without any encumbrance, as a lien or mortgage: They owned their house free and clear.

46.

free and easy,

a.	unrestrained; casual; informal.

b.	excessively or inappropriately casual; presumptuous.

47.

make free with,

a.	to use as one's own; help oneself to: If you make free with their liquor, you won't be invited again.

b.	to treat with too much familiarity; take liberties with.

48.	set free, to release; liberate; free: The prisoners were set free.

49.	with a free hand, generously; freely; openhandedly: He entertains visitors with a free hand.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME fre, OE frēo; c. Goth freis, OHG frī (G frei), D vrij, Skt priyá- dear. Cf. friend, Friday

Related forms:

freeness, noun

Synonyms:
49. See release.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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free (frē)

adj. fre·er, fre·est

Not imprisoned or enslaved; being at liberty.
Not controlled by obligation or the will of another: felt free to go.
1. Having political independence: "America . . . is the freest and wealthiest nation in the world" (Rudolph W. Giuliani).
2. Governed by consent and possessing or granting civil liberties: a free citizenry.
3. Not subject to arbitrary interference by a government: a free press.
4. Not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance: a healthy animal, free of disease; free from need.
5. Not subject to a given condition; exempt: income that is free of all taxes.
6. Costing nothing; gratuitous: a free meal.
7. Publicly supported: free education.
8. Not occupied or used: a free locker.
9. Not taken up by scheduled activities: free time between classes.
10. Unconstrained; unconfined: free expansion.
11. Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion: a free electron.
12. Not chemically bound in a molecule: free oxygen.
13. Involving no collisions or interactions: a free path.
14. Empty: a free space.
15. Unoccupied: a free energy level.
16. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
17. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.
1. Not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance: a healthy animal, free of disease; free from need.
2. Not subject to a given condition; exempt: income that is free of all taxes.
3. Costing nothing; gratuitous: a free meal.
4. Publicly supported: free education.
5. Not occupied or used: a free locker.
6. Not taken up by scheduled activities: free time between classes.
7. Unconstrained; unconfined: free expansion.
8. Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion: a free electron.
9. Not chemically bound in a molecule: free oxygen.
10. Involving no collisions or interactions: a free path.
11. Empty: a free space.
12. Unoccupied: a free energy level.
13. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
14. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.
Not subject to external restraint: "Comment is free but facts are sacred" (Charles Prestwich Scott).
Not literal or exact: a free translation.
1. Costing nothing; gratuitous: a free meal.
2. Publicly supported: free education.
3. Not occupied or used: a free locker.
4. Not taken up by scheduled activities: free time between classes.
5. Unconstrained; unconfined: free expansion.
6. Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion: a free electron.
7. Not chemically bound in a molecule: free oxygen.
8. Involving no collisions or interactions: a free path.
9. Empty: a free space.
10. Unoccupied: a free energy level.
11. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
12. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.
1. Not occupied or used: a free locker.
2. Not taken up by scheduled activities: free time between classes.
3. Unconstrained; unconfined: free expansion.
4. Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion: a free electron.
5. Not chemically bound in a molecule: free oxygen.
6. Involving no collisions or interactions: a free path.
7. Empty: a free space.
8. Unoccupied: a free energy level.
9. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
10. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.
Unobstructed; clear: a free lane.
Unguarded in expression or manner; open; frank.
Taking undue liberties; forward or overfamiliar.
Liberal or lavish: tourists who are free with their money.
Given, made, or done of one's own accord; voluntary or spontaneous: a free act of the will; free choices.
Chemistry & Physics
1. Unconstrained; unconfined: free expansion.
2. Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion: a free electron.
3. Not chemically bound in a molecule: free oxygen.
4. Involving no collisions or interactions: a free path.
5. Empty: a free space.
6. Unoccupied: a free energy level.
7. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
8. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.
Nautical Favorable: a free wind.
Not bound, fastened, or attached: the free end of a chain.
Linguistics
1. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
2. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.

adv.

In a free manner; without restraint.
Without charge.

tr.v. freed, free·ing, frees

To set at liberty; make free: freed the slaves; free the imagination.
To relieve of a burden, obligation, or restraint: a people who were at last freed from fear.
To remove obstructions or entanglements from; clear: free a path through the jungle.

[Middle English fre, from Old English frēo. V., from Middle English freen, from Old English frēon, to love, set free; see prī- in Indo-European roots.]
free'ly adv., free'ness n.

free (adj.)

O.E. freo "free, exempt from, not in bondage," also "noble, joyful," from P.Gmc. *frijaz (cf. M.H.G. vri, Ger. frei, Du. vrij, Goth. freis "free"), from PIE *prijos "dear, beloved" (cf. Skt. priyah "own, dear, beloved," priyate "loves;" O.C.S. prijati "to help," prijatelji "friend;" Welsh rhydd "free"). The adv. is from O.E. freon, freogan "to free, love." The primary sense seems to have been "beloved, friend, to love;" which in some languages (notably Gmc. and Celtic) developed also a sense of "free," perhaps from the terms "beloved" or "friend" being applied to the free members of one's clan (as opposed to slaves, cf. L. liberi, meaning both "free" and "children"). Cf. Goth. frijon "to love;" O.E. freod "affection, friendship," friga "love," friðu "peace;" O.N. friðr, Ger. Friede "peace;" O.E. freo "wife;" O.N. Frigg "wife of Odin," lit. "beloved" or "loving;" M.L.G. vrien "to take to wife, Du. vrijen, Ger. freien "to woo." Sense of "given without cost" is 1585, from notion of "free of cost." Of nations, "not subject to foreign rule or to despotism," it is recorded from 1375. Freedman "manumitted slave" first recorded 1601. Colloquial freeloader first recorded 1930s; free fall is from 1919, originally of parachutists; free-hand is from 1862; free-thinker is from 1692. Freebie dates back to 1942 as freeby, perhaps as early as 1900. Free-for-all "mass brawl" (in which anyone may participate) first recorded 1881. Freebase (n. and v.) in ref. to cocaine first recorded 1980.

Language Translation for : free

Spanish: libre,

German: frei,

Japanese: 自由な

More Translations »

Main Entry: free
Function: adjective
1 a : having the legal and political rights of a citizen free persons —U.S. Constitution article I> b : enjoying civil and political liberty free people> c : enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination free and independent States —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 free exercise thereof —U.S. Constitution amendment I> free and voluntary confession>
3 : relieved from or lacking a burden (as a lien or other encumbrance on title) free of a security interest created by his seller —Uniform Commercial Code>
4 : 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 —free·ly adverb —for free : without charge

Main Entry: free
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: freed; free·ing
1 : to cause to be free
2 : to relieve or rid of what constrains, confines, restricts, or burdens

Main Entry: free
Pronunciation: 'frE
Function: adjective
Inflected Forms: fre·er; fre·est
1 : not bound or confinedby force free blood is noted —H. G. Armstrong>
2 a (1) : not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixedwith something else free surface of a bodily part> (2) : having the bare axon exposed in tissue free nerve ending> b : not chemically combined<free oxygen> <free acids> c : not permanently attached but able to move about free electron in a metal>
3 : having allliving connections severed before removal to another site free graft> free flap transfers —B. R. Alford>

free
See free software, free variable.

free

In addition to the idioms beginning with free, 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).

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