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

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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

But in my book, this is an abuse of the freedom a motorcycle gives you. — Bill Hartford, Popular Mechanics, "My First Year on a Motorcycle," 15 Feb. 2019 Will she be taken to freedom or does an alternative to the oppressive regime even exist anymore? — Bridget Read, Vogue, "Do We Really Need a Handmaid’s Tale Sequel?," 29 Nov. 2018 Kendall Ciesemier, a 2014 CWOTY who is now a producer on the Opinion team at Mic, was instrumental in telling Alice Johnson's story, but the road to freedom started long before this summer. — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "How a Former Glamour College Woman of the Year Helped Break the Alice Johnson Story," 13 July 2018 The right to freedom of speech is one of our nation’s most dearly held values. — Katy Bergen, kansascity, "KU flag removal ‘smacks of censorship’: ACLU, free speech advocates defend art piece," 12 July 2018 That's what freedom is – the ability to choose your own interpretation. — Chuck Dauphin, Billboard, "Billy Ray Cyrus Shares 'The Goddess of Democracy' Lyric Video on Father's Birthday," 10 July 2018 If freedom of personal expression is the COH’s first commandment, then dissolving any societal divides among certain hairstyles comes a close second. — Leilani Marie Labong, SFChronicle.com, "At the Culture of Hair salon, the mission is top of mind — and head," 5 July 2018 As a lieutenant in the Battle of Bladensburg, Key and his men, got their behinds whooped on the battlefield by the Colonial Marines—runaway American slaves, who fought as sailors and soldiers for the British in return for their freedom. — Felice León, The Root, "The National Anthem Is Racist, and We Made a Video in Case You Forgot," 4 July 2018 Trained at the elite Château de Chantilly while accompanying Jefferson on a trip to France, Hemings would later become one of only two laborers enslaved by Jefferson to negotiate his freedom. — Amanda Cargill, Smithsonian, "What Did the Founding Fathers Eat and Drink as They Started a Revolution?," 3 July 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.