: allowed to range and forage with relative freedom
free-range chickens
also : of, relating to, or produced by free-range animals
free-range eggs

Examples of free-range 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.
Companies like Google are betting that the latest AI models can help robots become more free-range workers operating in complex and less controlled real-world environments—a prospect that also carries the greater risk of robots doing damage or harm to humans if something goes wrong. Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 15 Apr. 2026 For example, instead of having an adult enforce many rules of a baseball game, free-range kids are encouraged to play a pick-up game with their pals in the neighborhood. Amy Morin, Parents, 5 Mar. 2026 Miss Manners is not one to attribute all poor behavior to medical problems and to excuse it on those grounds, as many free-range diagnosticians do. Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026 Shortly after that blow-up, Josh installed a gate on the road that runs through his property — the most direct route between the Collins’ home and the free-range pasture — and began posting about the ordeal online. Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for free-range

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of free-range was in 1912

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Cite this Entry

“Free-range.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free-range. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

free-range

adjective
ˈfrē-ˌrānj
: allowed to roam and forage freely
free-range chickens
also : of, relating to, or produced by free-range animals
free-range eggs
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