freedom of speech

noun phrase

: the legal right to express one's opinions freely

Examples of freedom of speech in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The documentary debuted in the Cannes Premiere section of the festival to a long ovation and strong reviews, praising the timeliness of the film in an era in which freedom of speech and civil liberties are under assault and autocrats are on the rise worldwide. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 May 2025 Yet Rushdie himself has been living testament to the fact that not everyone values freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of thought. The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 11 May 2025 However, in September 2023 a U.S. appeals court blocked a California law banning gun marketing to minors citing freedom of speech concerns and arguing the law was unlikely to reduce gun violence. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 The band’s spokesperson, Luis Alvarado, defended the band to the press outside of the courtroom, calling for the group’s right to freedom of speech. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for freedom of speech

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Cite this Entry

“Freedom of speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedom%20of%20speech. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

freedom of speech

: the right to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content and subject only to reasonable limitations (as the power of the government to avoid a clear and present danger) especially as guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution see also free speech compare censorship, prior restraint
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