free speech
noun
: speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
also
: the right to such speech
… speakers were allowed to exercise their constitutional right of free speech … —
Harold Ickes
Harold Ickes Examples of free speech in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, Ethiopia — Africa’s second most populous nation with over 135 million people — stands deeply divided, facing violent ethnic conflicts, restrictions on free speech and crackdowns on dissent.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
Those marching orders left opponents and free speech advocates in disbelief, wondering how park employees were supposed to put a sunny spin on monuments acknowledging slavery, Jim Crow laws and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
That’s what free speech and democracy is all about.
—Scott Maxwell, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
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Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
Those marching orders left opponents and free speech advocates in disbelief, wondering how park employees were supposed to put a sunny spin on monuments acknowledging slavery, Jim Crow laws and the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
That’s what free speech and democracy is all about.
—Scott Maxwell, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2026
Critics worry that the buffer zones could be used to quell nonviolent demonstrations or criminalize free speech.
—CBS News, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for free speech
Cite this Entry
“Free speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20speech. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
free speech
noun1
: speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
setting off an alarm bell is not free speech—A. M. Dershowitz
A. M. Dershowitz2
: freedom of speech
an unconstitutional restraint on free speech—National Law Journal
National Law JournalLove words? Need even more definitions?
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