freedom

noun free·dom \ ˈfrē-dəm \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: freedom in a Sentence

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

The party of spreading freedom and never negotiating with dictators is now full of praise for chumming it up with Kim Jong-un.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Has Not Transformed the Republican Party – Yet," 14 June 2018
State Control Rights groups say the overwhelming majority of those released lack full freedom and about 300 political prisoners remain behind bars.

— andrew rosati, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuelan Autocrat Maduro Attempts a Public Relations Coup," 13 June 2018
To his critics, that order was bought at the price of political freedom and international isolation.

— anatoly kurmanaev, WSJ, "World Cup Gives Putin’s Policies a Global Stage," 13 June 2018
IDEAS Song is the president and CEO of international nonprofit Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), which helps North Korean refugees reach safety and freedom and mobilizes international grassroots support for the North Korean people.

— hannah song, Time, "Forget Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Here’s Why the People of North Korea Are the Real Solution," 13 June 2018
Despite his efforts to sacrifice a teen’s freedom and innocence for the sake of his job performance statistics, Atesiano resigned abruptly in 2014.

— caitlin wolper, Teen Vogue, "A 16-Year-Old Was Allegedly Framed by Police Eager for Perfect Arrest Statistics," 13 June 2018
DeWitt’s prose itself suggests improvisation’s blissful illusion of freedom.

— gregory leon miller, SFChronicle.com, "‘Some Trick: Thirteen Stories,’ by Helen DeWitt," 7 June 2018
He's taken the measure of the matchups—including the freedom to summon Love or Thompson at will—and played some of his most assertive basketball in years.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Stephen Curry's Shooting Bucks Conventional Math, Breaks Cavs' Resolve in Game 2," 4 June 2018
These bikers, like their brethren in the U.S., have gathered to seek out empty winding roads through the countryside—where two wheels and a motor means freedom in any language.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "Beer and Bikes in the Black Forest—And All for a Good Cause," 31 May 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.