free speech

noun

|Updated on: 21 Jul 2018

Definition of free speech

: speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; also : the right to such speech

an unconstitutional restraint on free speech
—Nat'l Law Jour.

Recent Examples of free speech from the Web

The Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative legal group that argued the Masterpiece case, is currently litigating cases where free speech, religious freedom and public accommodation laws collide.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Supreme Court opening could affect same-sex marriage as much as abortion," 3 July 2018
Compared with China, however, India remains a bastion of free speech, minority rights and judicial independence.

— sadanand dhume, WSJ, "I Think I’m Going to Kathmandu, Say the Chinese," 28 June 2018
Many other military personnel also tweeted in favor of Kaepernick, although most were supporting free speech, not communism.

— NBC News, "Army boots West Point grad who touted communist revolt," 20 June 2018
Chesnot Getty Images The Freedom of Press Foundation, a non-profit organization that funds and supports free speech, is opening its doors to cryptocurrencies.

— polina marinova, Fortune, "The Freedom of Press Foundation Is Now Accepting Cryptocurrency," 19 June 2018
Many other military personnel also tweeted in favor of Kaepernick, although most were supporting free speech, not communism.

— mary esch, USA TODAY, "US Army boots West Point officer who touted communist revolution during graduation ceremony," 19 June 2018
Unapologetically raunchy, subversive, and always offbeat, Dirty Talk is an underground haven of free speech, democratic ideals, and collective healing.

— jeff roy, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Guide to Mumbai's Diverse LGBTQ+ Arts Scene," 13 June 2018
This is likely to have a chilling effect on free speech in the region, and on the EU public's use of copyright materials in the production and sharing of memes, parodies, and criticism.

— glyn moody, Ars Technica, "Illegal memes? Weak Safe Harbor? Unpacking the proposed EU copyright overhaul," 12 June 2018
David Synder is an attorney and the executive director of the nonprofit First Amendment Coalition, which describes itself as dedicated to advancing free speech, open government and public participation.

— teri figueroa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "ACLU suit targets law that bars horn honking at protests," 12 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'free speech.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.