unfree

adjective

un·​free ˌən-ˈfrē How to pronounce unfree (audio)
Synonyms of unfreenext
: not free : lacking freedom
unfree laborers
an unfree decision
unfreedom noun

Examples of unfree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Other places had other forms of unfree or bonded labor. Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 Until a few years ago, millions of Iranians repeatedly voted in the country’s mostly unfree elections, hoping that regime insiders could pave a path for reform. Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026 His elections in 2018 and 2024 were widely denounced as fraudulent or unfree by the U.S., the European Union and many Latin American governments. Paul Vallas, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2026 Such a lens shows that the mobility of these women depended on the labor of those who were unfree. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unfree

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfree was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Unfree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfree. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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