freedom

noun

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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

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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 The costs of radical freedom—the challenge of grappling openly, outrageously, with even the ugliest impulses of life—became a subject of his work. — David Remnick, The New Yorker, "The Secrets Philip Roth Didn’t Keep," 22 Mar. 2021 Kensu’s last shot at freedom lies with the state’s yet untested Conviction Integrity Unit. — NBC News, "Is Temujin Kensu a 'ninja killer' or wrongfully convicted man?," 21 Mar. 2021 But the journey to find freedom would end with the 32-year-old mother’s death. — Los Angeles Times, "A Mexican mother fleeing domestic violence sent her children to California. She died trying to follow them," 20 Mar. 2021 The enemies of religious freedom beyond America’s borders are presently wielding fearsome power. — Cameron Hilditch, National Review, "Religious Persecution Abroad Reminds Us Why Religious Liberty Matters," 20 Mar. 2021 Longevity and freedom from pest problems come to mind first. — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, "Mimosa trees great for their 2-week bloom, a struggle after that," 19 Mar. 2021 On the page, Karl Morgenthau, the son of a diplomat, lost his father and became a freedom-fighting terrorist known as Flag-Smasher with the goal of liberating earth from the concept of nationalism. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," 19 Mar. 2021 To my father, freedom meant that each person was valued, accepted, celebrated and had the opportunity to create something extraordinary. — Nicholas Zaldastani, Forbes, "Three Lessons On Inclusivity In Marketing: What I've Learned As A First-Generation American," 19 Mar. 2021 People tend to argue about affirmative action, free speech, firearms and religious freedom as if there were important interests on only one side. — Washington Post, "Why are our debates about rights so toxic?," 19 Mar. 2021

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.