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

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

In most eras of history, and in many parts of the world today, such freedom would be inconceivable.

— The Economist, "Transcendental meditationNeil MacGregor on living with gods," 2 Nov. 2017
And slowly, reluctantly, one notion a few radical Protestants put about -- that freedom of speech and of worship were actually good things, not just unavoidable necessities to be tolerated -- became a new orthodoxy.

— alec ryrie, CNN, "Three surprising ways the Protestant Reformation shaped our world," 29 Oct. 2017
If Luther was a flawed prophet of human freedom, his voice was nonetheless vital in the long march toward a more just and pluralistic society.

— joseph loconte, National Geographic, "Martin Luther and the Long March to Freedom of Conscience," 27 Oct. 2017
The bill also gave Holcomb's administration more freedom to toll roads, without having to get the approval of the entire General Assembly.

— kaitlin l lange, Indianapolis Star, "Lawmaker trying to head off tolling for I-465 commuters after state wouldn't rule it out," 25 Oct. 2017
This means her power, her sense of social freedom, and expectation of safety, all rely on a man.

— zaron burnett iii, Teen Vogue, "Stand Up to Sexual Harassment and Abuse: How Men Can Help Women," 24 Oct. 2017
For their more than 100,000 followers, their Instagram account, @ouropenroad, is a portal to freedom and adventure.

— matt pearce, latimes.com, "L.A. family disappears after pirate raid in Amazon rainforest, then re-emerges on a surfboard," 2 Nov. 2017
The Democratic governor has directed the lights on the spire of 1 World Trade Center be lit in red, white and blue in honor of freedom and democracy.

— Bloomberg.com, "The Latest on the New York City Terror Attack," 1 Nov. 2017
To safeguard their democracy, in other words, the Ukrainian people have embraced a national identity based on common ideals of freedom and truth.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "What Ukraine can teach the US about Russian meddling," 31 Oct. 2017

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

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.

- 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

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

FREEDOM Defined for Kids

freedom

noun free·dom \ ˈfrē-dəm \

Definition of freedom for Students

1 : the condition of having liberty

The slaves won their freedom.

2 : ability to move or act as desired

freedom of choice

freedom of movement

3 : release from something unpleasant

freedom from care

4 : the quality of being very frank : candor

spoke with freedom

5 : a political right

freedom of speech

Law Dictionary

freedom

noun free·dom

legal Definition of freedom

1 : the quality or state of being free: 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

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

2 a : a political or civil right

b : franchise 2

Learn More about freedom

See words that rhyme with freedom Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for freedom Spanish Central: Translation of freedom Nglish: Translation of freedom for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of freedom for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about freedom

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freedom

Definition of freedom

Examples of freedom in a Sentence

Recent Examples of freedom from the Web

Origin and Etymology of freedom

freedom Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Related Words

Synonym Discussion of freedom

Other Government and Politics Terms

Phrases Related to FREEDOM

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FREEDOM Defined for Kids

freedom

Definition of freedom for Students

Law Dictionary

freedom

legal Definition of freedom

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