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
European Union regulators on Friday fined X, Elon Musk’s social media platform, 120 million euros ($140 million) for breaches of the bloc’s digital regulations, in a move that risks rekindling tensions with Washington over free speech.
—Fortune, 6 Dec. 2025
The echoes of Vice President JD Vance’s corrosive speech in February at the Munich Security Conference run through two pages which accuse – without evidence – European allies of suppressing free speech and democracy, while crippling their own economies through over-regulation.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
In its court documents, the Times is arguing that Hegseth's moves violate constitutional protections for free speech and freedom of the press.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Dec. 2025
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ranked Indiana University as the worst public university in the country for free speech on campus in a September report.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
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Fortune, 6 Dec. 2025
The echoes of Vice President JD Vance’s corrosive speech in February at the Munich Security Conference run through two pages which accuse – without evidence – European allies of suppressing free speech and democracy, while crippling their own economies through over-regulation.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 2025
In its court documents, the Times is arguing that Hegseth's moves violate constitutional protections for free speech and freedom of the press.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Dec. 2025
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression ranked Indiana University as the worst public university in the country for free speech on campus in a September report.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
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 9 Dec. 2025.
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
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