: freedom of action or decision
Examples of freehand in a Sentence
Adjective
She took a course in freehand drawing.
Noun
gave him free hand in managing the club
Recent Examples on the Web
Sean Bennett, Teen Vogue, 21 June 2018
And throughout, all kinds of brushes and tools enable an entire palette’s worth of colors to flow, stutter, twist, suffuse and fold, while freehand additions à la de Kooning — and Mr. Green’s earlier work, as well — occasionally flit about.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2017
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The 5-foot-7 junior showed slick moves to the basket and a nice shooting touch, aided by the referees’ unwillingness to whistle her for using her free hand to ward off defenders.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freehand
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Adjective
On set, 19-year-old artist Chella Man felt right at home in the second floor bathroom painted by Keith Haring; both Haring and Chella use a fluid, often abstract yet heavily emotive, freehand style to express themselves.
—Sean Bennett, Teen Vogue, 21 June 2018
And throughout, all kinds of brushes and tools enable an entire palette’s worth of colors to flow, stutter, twist, suffuse and fold, while freehand additions à la de Kooning — and Mr. Green’s earlier work, as well — occasionally flit about.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2017
Noun
The direction – which was visibly obeyed – is nothing new for repeat attendees of Welch’s shows, who have endured the agony of a phone-free hand for two minutes.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
The 5-foot-7 junior showed slick moves to the basket and a nice shooting touch, aided by the referees’ unwillingness to whistle her for using her free hand to ward off defenders.
—Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for freehand
Cite this Entry
“Freehand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freehand. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
freehand
1 of 2 adjective
free·hand
ˈfrē-ˌhand 
: done without mechanical aids or devices
freehand drawing
freehand
adverb
free hand
2 of 2 noun
: freedom to act or decide
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