free-ranging

adjective

free-rang·​ing ˈfrē-ˈrān-jiŋ How to pronounce free-ranging (audio)
1
: moving or able to move or range freely over a wide area without restriction
free-ranging animals
I began roaming the streets to observe how free-ranging cats—feral cats and strays, as well as house cats allowed to wander freely—make a living in a city.James E. Childs
2
: not limited or narrow in scope or extent : wide-ranging
a free-ranging discussion
Mr. Enright is comparatively free-ranging and various in writing about what engages him; his subjects range from professors of literature to computers to "correctness" to aging and, above all, to words.William H. Pritchard

Examples of free-ranging in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Today, hundreds of free-ranging dogs live in the area around the site of the disaster, known as the exclusion zone. Emily Anthes, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'free-ranging.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of free-ranging was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near free-ranging

Cite this Entry

“Free-ranging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free-ranging. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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