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

Critics point to potential freedom of speech violations. — James Mcauley, Washington Post, "France moves toward a law requring Facebook to delete hate speech within 24 hours," 10 July 2019 Perhaps the desire to go home had been greater than the wish to go North to freedom. — Steven Hoelscher, Smithsonian, "A Lost Work by Langston Hughes Examines the Harsh Life on the Chain Gang," 9 July 2019 However, Carter's lawyer managed to maintain Michelle's freedom for the past two years while working to have her case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, according to NBC. — Alexis Jones, Marie Claire, "How Much Time Did Michelle Carter Get in Prison?," 8 July 2019 Run to freedom: The fifth annual Nate Vermote Run to Freedom, raising awareness to end human trafficking, will be held July 28, starting at Medina’s historic square. — Sam Boyer, cleveland.com, "Looking at items from the past is always interesting: Whit & Whimsey," 5 July 2019 Mark Zuckerberg, of Facebook, speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival last week, appealed to personal freedom to defend his platform’s decision to allow the microtargeting of false, incendiary information. — Noam Cohen, The New Yorker, "Will California’s New Bot Law Strengthen Democracy?," 2 July 2019 Coyotes are relatively easy, but bobcats will try to claw their way to freedom. — Serena O'sullivan, azcentral, "There's a boom of bobcats, raccoons and more at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center," 30 June 2019 The high court yet again held off determining whether a business owner’s First Amendment right to freedom of religion supersedes the rights to service of LGBTQ Americans who are protected in more than 20 states by anti-discrimination laws. — oregonlive.com, "U.S. Supreme Court sidesteps religious freedom vs. same-sex couple’s rights in Oregon cake case," 17 June 2019 The redesign of the $20 bill featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and led hundreds of other people to freedom, will no longer be unveiled in 2020. — Drew Broach, nola.com, "See a Harriet Tubman $20 bill designed under Obama and delayed under Trump: report," 15 June 2019

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.