free verse

noun

Definition of free versenext
as in poetry
verse that does not rhyme and does not have a regular rhythm The author's free verse has a unique rhythmic intensity.

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of free verse The history of art reads here as one long, free verse poem-in-progress, gorgeous and absorbing. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026 Told in a first-person, free verse style, her struggle to overcome a family tragedy, an ecological catastrophe, and the Great Depression is harrowing yet hopeful. — Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026 Though most of Milosz’s poetry was written in free verse, no effort has been made to force the English versions into the complicated poetic forms the poet sometimes preferred — that would have required a different sense of obligation. — William Logan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025 The award-winning work, told through a mix of free verse and haiku, offers a poignant and nuanced look at a young person growing up Black in the nineteen-sixties and seventies, finding herself through the art of writing. — The New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for free verse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for free verse
  1. poetry
  2. poem
  3. lyric
  4. blank verse
  5. rhyme
  6. song
Noun
  • Around that time, with Channing and a few friends — and with Bibbe’s assistance — Beck started a mimeographed poetry magazine by and for young people.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • His words are at once part of the rhythm section and profoundly personal poetry.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of poetry
Noun
  • These were poems that dealt directly with the execution of friends and associates of Wyatt’s, including Anne Boleyn.
    — Colm Tóibín, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Greeting the audience at the entrance is Rilke’s poem, printed on a transparent panel; visible just beyond is Goldin+Senneby’s large-scale, amber Resin Pond (2006), made with two tons of pine tree resin spilling across the gallery.
    — Vivienne Chow, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of poem
Noun
  • The video screen helpfully displayed the lyrics, but nobody needed a prompt.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The rock band, known for its unconventional costumes and intentionally offensive lyrics, was nominated for two Grammys, one in 1993 for Best Long Form Music Video and another in 1996 for Best Metal Performance.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of lyric
Noun
  • The piece has the pattern of blank verse.
    — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
  • But Kantor wrote it in blank verse — little help for the script.
    — Peter Bart, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2025
Definition of blank verse
Noun
  • Closets Without a Purpose Garcia’s definition of a closet without purpose is a space where belongings have piled up without rhyme, reason, or a clear system to help organize whatever is inside.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Galtié also pointed out that the garden sits steps from the Vanderbilt Gate, a fitting historical rhyme given the family’s ties to Boucheron.
    — Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of rhyme
Noun
  • However, the authors of this study were aided by using laser range finders, which are tools golfers use to find how far the hole is, Menezes added, enabling them to measure the volume of the birds’ songs and the distance at the same time.
    — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The romantic comedy also features six original songs written by Roth and performed by the cast.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of song

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free trade
free verse
free verses
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Cite this Entry

“Free verse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/free%20verse. Accessed 3 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on free verse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about free verse

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