freedom

noun free·dom \ ˈfrē-dəm \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

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

2 a : a political right

b : franchise, privilege

See freedom defined for English-language learners

See freedom defined for kids

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 of freedom from the Web

An opinion writer and three newspaper executives in Fiji are awaiting a judge's verdict Friday on sedition charges in a case that has major implications for press freedom in the South Pacific nation.

— Fox News, "Fiji 4 await verdict in case that tests press freedoms," 17 May 2018
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, administration officials rejected the notion that Trump has lost standing in pressuring other leaders on press freedoms given his own statements about reporters.

— kevin liptak, CNN, "White House says Trump would push Uzbek leader on media and political freedom," 16 May 2018
In Mexico, journalists face threats from criminal groups but also public officials, who were responsible for nearly half of the 1,986 attacks on reporters since 2012, according to Article 19, a press freedom group.

— kate linthicum, latimes.com, "On the anniversary of one journalist's death, another is shot to death in Mexico," 15 May 2018
That type of freedom is refreshing to see in female leads.

— christopher rosa, Glamour, "The Enduring Allure of the ‘Rich Bitch’," 10 May 2018
And even after his release from prison, freedom was incomplete.

— dan rodricks, baltimoresun.com, "Kirk Bloodsworth's new passion: Championship rings for those who won freedom," 1 May 2018
But the concept of press freedom has taken a beating as Trump and his administration have continuously attacked and attemped to limit the media.

— emma sarran webster, Teen Vogue, "The Justice Department Made Some Major Changes to Its U.S. Attorneys’ Manual," 1 May 2018
Even in a monogamous relationship, Sagittarians need plenty of freedom.

— aliza kelly faragher, Allure, "How Each Zodiac Sign Is Most Likely to Cheat in a Relationship," 30 Apr. 2018
If one person can eclipse an entire evening’s worth of celebration—the military show, the scholarships, the awards, the urgent discussion of the profound necessity of press freedom—that’s a good sign that something should change about the evening.

— megan garber, The Atlantic, "The Slow, Awkward Death of the White House Correspondents' Dinner," 29 Apr. 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.

Origin and Etymology of freedom

see ¹free

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

freedom Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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.