freestyle

noun

free·​style ˈfrē-ˌstī(-ə)l How to pronounce freestyle (audio)
often attributive
1
: a competition in which the contestant is given more latitude than in related events
especially : a swimming competition in which the swimmer may use any stroke
2
freestyler noun

Examples of freestyle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For the final time, each couple danced twice: a freestyle and a redemption dance, redoing a routine from earlier in the season. Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 7 Dec. 2023 During the finale, each pair danced twice — a redemption dance, redoing one of their routines from earlier in the season, and a freestyle. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 6 Dec. 2023 While skiers can wear any type of helmet for freestyle and park skiing, many riders prefer a skate-style, durable ABS hardshell helmet. Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2023 Pitchfork writer Alphonse Pierre’s rap column covers songs, mixtapes, albums, Instagram freestyles, memes, weird tweets, fashion trends—and anything else that catches his attention. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 3 Nov. 2023 When the early days of her career are recalled, spanning on-the-street freestyles and viral videos, there’s an air of excitement that seems to dissipate the further the rapper gets to the top. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2023 In his highs, Jimin, a lifelong dancer, instinctively breaks out into freestyles to the tracks. Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 24 Oct. 2023 Cail won gold at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships as a member of the US women’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay, according to FINA, the international governing body of swimming. Steve Almasy, CNN, 28 Aug. 2023 Between a rumors of joint album from Kanye West & Ty Dolla $ign, several revelations from Jada Pinkett Smith’s memoir, and a surprise freestyle from Drake’s son, Adonis, the hip-hop world has been in a tizzy for the past week. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freestyle.' 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

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of freestyle was in 1913

Dictionary Entries Near freestyle

Cite this Entry

“Freestyle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freestyle. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

freestyle

noun
free·​style -ˌstīl How to pronounce freestyle (audio)
: a competition (as a swimming race) in which the competitors are not restricted to a certain way of performing

More from Merriam-Webster on freestyle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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