✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

free rein

noun

: unrestricted liberty of action or decision
The studio gave the director free rein over the movie.

Examples of free rein in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Advertisement But that market is not working like it should, and is giving disinformation free rein while eroding the foundations of factual discourse. Richard Stengel, Time, 24 Nov. 2025 The police were enforcing a strict lockdown, giving free rein to organized crime groups to expand their territorial control, particularly in remote areas. Tim Lister, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025 These are the people given free rein to architect sweeping policies that are shaping not just the country, but the world. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025 Unlike a decorator, who must design a space with a client’s specific tastes in mind, Saft has free rein to execute his vision—no suggestions, no notes. Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for free rein

Word History

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of free rein was in 1635

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Free rein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20rein. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!