: in a free manner: such as
a
: of one's own accord
left home freely
b
: with freedom from external control
a freely elected government
c
: without restraint or reservation
spent freely on clothes
d
: without hindrance
a gate swinging freely
e
: not strictly following a model, convention, or rule
freely translated
Examples of freely in a Sentence
I will freely give my life for my country.
the horse broke the halter rope quite freely
Recent Examples on the Web
In fact, employers who made a point to freely give their workers due recognition reported a 9% productivity jump, a 22% decrease in safety incidents, and a 22% decrease in absenteeism, Fortune’s Amber Burton reported.
—
Jane Thier, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023
Since the late 1800s, the Ballroom scene has provided a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community to express itself freely through performance, commentary and fashion.
—Kenyatta Victoria, Essence, 7 Sep. 2023
There’s a movement to make generative AI training shift into an opt-in model, where only work that is in the public domain or freely given goes into the data sets.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2023
For Derry, affirmative action was a kind of protection that ensured campuses cared about diversity — and so the loss of that protection might now mean campuses can freely discriminate.
—Jessica Cheung, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023
Her face was covered for the photo op as her dark tresses hung freely.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2023
Coup leaders said there would be a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time but that people would be allowed to move about freely today.
—Yves Laurent Goma and Sam Mednick The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2023
Chaos reigns, and jokes about bulimia, gray-area rape, and the emptiness of empowerment slogans fly as freely as the punches.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 25 Aug. 2023
After the deal, Peskov said that Prigozhin’s security had been guaranteed by Putin’s word, and the Wagner boss continued to travel freely in Russia and to Africa, disposing of some assets and preparing to expand his African operations.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2023
See More
Jane Thier, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023
Since the late 1800s, the Ballroom scene has provided a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community to express itself freely through performance, commentary and fashion.
—Kenyatta Victoria, Essence, 7 Sep. 2023
There’s a movement to make generative AI training shift into an opt-in model, where only work that is in the public domain or freely given goes into the data sets.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2023
For Derry, affirmative action was a kind of protection that ensured campuses cared about diversity — and so the loss of that protection might now mean campuses can freely discriminate.
—Jessica Cheung, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2023
Her face was covered for the photo op as her dark tresses hung freely.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2023
Coup leaders said there would be a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time but that people would be allowed to move about freely today.
—Yves Laurent Goma and Sam Mednick The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 31 Aug. 2023
Chaos reigns, and jokes about bulimia, gray-area rape, and the emptiness of empowerment slogans fly as freely as the punches.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 25 Aug. 2023
After the deal, Peskov said that Prigozhin’s security had been guaranteed by Putin’s word, and the Wagner boss continued to travel freely in Russia and to Africa, disposing of some assets and preparing to expand his African operations.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freely.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of freely was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing freely
Dictionary Entries Near freely
Cite this Entry
“Freely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freely. Accessed 23 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on freely
Nglish: Translation of freely for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of freely for Arabic Speakers
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