freedom

noun

free·dom | \ ˈfrē-dəm

Definition of freedom

1 : the quality or state of being free: such as

a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action

b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence

c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous freedom from care

d : unrestricted use gave him the freedom of their home

e : ease, facility spoke the language with freedom

f : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken answered with freedom

g : improper familiarity

h : boldness of conception or execution

2a : a political right

b : franchise, privilege

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about freedom

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for freedom

freedom, liberty, license mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated. freedom of the press liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion. the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom. freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Examples of freedom in a Sentence

Or Bugs would do the impossible by jumping out of the frame and landing on the drawing board of the cartoonist who was at work creating him. This freedom to transcend the laws of basic physics, to hop around in time and space, and to skip from one dimension to another has long been a crucial aspect of imaginative poetry. — Billy Collins, Wall Street Journal, 28-29 June 2008 I can see that my choices were never truly mine alone—and that that is how it should be, that to assert otherwise is to chase after a sorry sort of freedom. — Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father, (1995) 2004 It's the beginning of summer. … For many adults who are really closet kids, this means that their blood hums with a hint of freedom … — Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 18 June 2001 He thinks children these days have too much freedom. She has the freedom to do as she likes. a political prisoner struggling to win his freedom

Recent Examples on the Web

They’re worn to honor and memorialize the soldiers who gave their lives to protect our country’s freedom. — Elissa Sanci, Good Housekeeping, "Everything You Need to Know About the Symbolism Behind Memorial Day Poppies," 9 May 2019 The Koli drape, from coastal Goa, turns the sari into pants to enable freedom of movement for fisherwomen. — Meara Sharma, Vogue, "Why I Am Taking the Sari Back to the Street," 30 Apr. 2019 In other words, how did Europe in the 16th century, when religious adherence was enforced and heretics were persecuted, produce a world in which freedom of thought and religious affiliation are now guaranteed? — Barton Swaim, WSJ, "‘Permanent Revolution’ and ‘Liberty in the Things of God’ Review: Rendering Unto Caesar," 12 Apr. 2019 The recent struggles by Catalan leaders for independence from Spain were referenced by some of the performers onstage at Clownia, as were the universal themes of immigration, freedom of expression and gender equality. — Judy Cantor-navas, Billboard, "Clownia: Global Bands Come Together in Catalonia for a Summer Feel-Better Festival," 5 July 2018 What makes this season different is that Messi’s total and utter freedom on the pitch has never been so crucial. — Joshua Robinson, WSJ, "Lionel Messi Is More Important Than Ever," 17 Apr. 2019 Of all the creative freelance world’s pros (flexibility! artistic freedom!) and its cons (no healthcare!), one of the most difficult to parse out is the complicated relationship between time, money, and self-esteem. — Emma Goldberg, Glamour, "A Penny for Her Thoughts? Women in the Gig Economy Struggle to Get Paid," 16 Apr. 2019 Abroad Graduation means freedom from classwork, exams, teachers, and extracurricular activities. — Teen Vogue, "What To Do After High School: 9 Things To Do Besides College," 4 Apr. 2019 Twitter curiously doesn’t offer the option to purge your timeline, but services like TweetDelete, TwitWipe, and TweetEraser offered freedom from Twitter mobs through mass deletion. — Megan Farokhmanesh, The Verge, "The year of deleted tweets," 27 Dec. 2018

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