freedom

noun

free·​dom ˈfrē-dəm 

1

: the quality or state of being free: such as

a

: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

b

: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence

c

: the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous

freedom from care

d

: unrestricted use

gave him the freedom of their home

e

: ease, facility

spoke the language with freedom

f

: the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken

answered with freedom

g

: improper familiarity

h

: boldness of conception or execution

2

a

: a political right

b

: franchise, privilege

Synonyms

• autonomy
• independence
• independency
• liberty
• self-determination
• self-governance
• self-government
• sovereignty
• sovranty

Choose the Right Synonym for freedom

freedom, liberty, license mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion.

freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Examples of freedom in a Sentence

Or Bugs would do the impossible by jumping out of the frame and landing on the drawing board of the cartoonist who was at work creating him. This freedom to transcend the laws of basic physics, to hop around in time and space, and to skip from one dimension to another has long been a crucial aspect of imaginative poetry. —Billy Collins, Wall Street Journal, 28-29 June 2008

I can see that my choices were never truly mine alone—and that that is how it should be, that to assert otherwise is to chase after a sorry sort of freedom. —Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004

It's the beginning of summer.  … For many adults who are really closet kids, this means that their blood hums with a hint of freedom … —Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 18 June 2001

He thinks children these days have too much freedom.

She has the freedom to do as she likes.

a political prisoner struggling to win his freedom

Recent Examples on the Web

In this dark comedy, Bud’s own fictionally fatal mishap may be the thing to give him a second chance at freedom and life. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 1 May 2025

The Times of India reported on Tuesday that Modi has given the military the operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of the response to the attack in Kashmir. —Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Co-curated with Keith Cradle and Ricky Singh, the exhibition invites audiences to see motorcycles not just as machines, but as symbols of freedom, healing and self-definition — themes deeply personal to Jacobs himself. —Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 29 Apr. 2025

And the freedom to worship—or not to worship—was and still is a foundational part of America's charter, before and after FDR's eloquent address to the nation back in 1939. —Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see free entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing freedom

• academic freedom
• degree of freedom
• freedom fighter
• freedom of expression
• freedom of religion
• freedom of speech
• freedom of the press
• freedom of the seas
• freedom ride
• intellectual freedom

Kids Definition

freedom

noun

free·​dom ˈfrēd-əm 

1

a

: the state of being free : liberty, independence

b

: ability to move or act freely

c

: the state of being released from something usually unpleasant

freedom from care

d

: the quality of being frank or open

answered with freedom

e

: use without restriction

has the freedom of the house

2

: a political right

Legal Definition

freedom

noun

free·​dom

1

: the quality or state of being free: as

a

: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

b

: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another

c

: the quality or state of being exempt or released from something onerous

2

a

: a political or civil right

b

: franchise sense 2