1
2
as in latitude
the right to act or move freely as special guests of the owners, the youngsters had full freedom of the resort and its private beach

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word freedom different from other nouns like it?

The words liberty and license are common synonyms of freedom. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When could liberty be used to replace freedom?

In some situations, the words liberty and freedom are roughly equivalent. However, liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

In what contexts can license take the place of freedom?

While in some cases nearly identical to freedom, license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

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 freedom The bald eagle's release came days ahead of July Fourth celebrations, restoring an emblem of American freedom to the wild. Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025 Opponents see the move as part of a wider crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of a national election next year when Orban will face a strong opposition challenger. Anita Komuves, USA Today, 28 June 2025 Protect legal equality, individual freedom and the rule of law. Naperville Sun, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025 That May, parents sued the school board, alleging that its actions violated their religious freedom rights. Solcyré Burga, Time, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for freedom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freedom
Noun
  • South Sudan endured a bloody years-long civil war shortly after gaining independence in 2011, and the United Nations warns violence has escalated in recent months.
    June 23, CBS News, 23 June 2025
  • Ada’s arc has been one of growing independence in baby steps: getting married, having the means to stand up to her sister.
    Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • During oral arguments on June 17, all three judges suggested that presidents have wide latitude under the federal law at issue and that courts should be reluctant to step in.
    Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025
  • This means that the aurora borealis may be viewed from lower latitudes than usual.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Smart investors are watching for clues: insider buying, activist stake-building, tighter segment disclosure, JV chatter, and the sudden alignment of political and industrial interests around domestic chip sovereignty.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • With the Self-Government Act of 2009, Greenlanders became a separate people under international law, acquiring internal autonomy under Danish sovereignty.
    Morten Høi Jensen, The Dial, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • At a press conference, Johnson said the War Powers Act of 1973, which limits presidential military action without congressional authorization, is unconstitutional.
    Amanda Castro Hannah Parry Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
  • Frightened for her daughter’s life, Paulina’s mother did not sign the authorization.
    Rebecca Grant June 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • But the West Virginians were certainly seceding in favor of the spirit of the Constitution and the aims of the Declaration of Independence: indivisible union and the liberty of its people, even those held as slaves at that moment.
    Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 20 June 2025
  • Remind them that your values are intersectional and our liberty is bound together.
    Sophia Bush, Time, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • In traditional robots, a control system analyzes sensory data and tells the machine what to do.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 June 2025
  • Ranged across the top of the SoundLink Plus there is a strip of soft-touch controls for turning the speaker on and off, initiating Bluetooth pairing, syncing with other Bose speakers, as well as playing and pausing music, skipping tracks and adjusting volume levels.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • References to trans people disappeared around the same time from the website for the Stonewall National Monument, considered the birthplace of gay liberation, in a move that sparked particular outcry.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 28 June 2025
  • Fleeing from their oppressive lives, our heroes, played by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, take the standard trajectory of liberation embodied by the macho road movie and give it a feminist kick.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • Companies who wait until the economics are easy will find that the customers, the talent, and the licenses to operate have already gone elsewhere.
    Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, Diaz’s driver’s license was suspended multiple times in 2023 for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
    Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Freedom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freedom. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on freedom

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!