free

The definition of free is enjoying personal freedom and liberties or to have no cost.

(adjective)

  1. An example of free is a place where citizens may speak and act as they please, as long as they respect this right of others.
  2. An example of free is a complimentary piece of chocolate with a wine tasting.

Free means to release or let go.

(verb)

An example of free is to let all of the animals out of a zoo.

Free is defined as without charge.

(adverb)

An example of free is being able to ride a roller coaster at an amusement park without paying.

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2013 by LoveToKnow Corp.

See free in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective freer, freest

    1. not under the control of some other person or some arbitrary power; able to act or think without compulsion or arbitrary restriction; having liberty; independent
    2. characterized by or resulting from liberty
    1. having, or existing under, a government that does not impose arbitrary restrictions on the right to speak, assemble, petition, vote, etc.; having civil and political liberty: a free people
    2. not under control of a foreign government
  1. able to move in any direction; not held, as in chains, etc.; not kept from motion; loose
  2. not held or confined by a court, the police, etc.; acquitted
  3. not held or burdened by obligations, debts, discomforts, etc.; unhindered; unhampered: free from pain
  4. at liberty; allowed: free to leave at any time
  5. not confined to the usual rules or patterns; not limited by convention or tradition: free verse
  6. not literal; not exact: a free translation
  7. not held or confined by prejudice or bias
  8. not restricted by anything except its own limitations or nature: free will
  9. not busy or not in use; available for other work, use, etc.
  10. readily done or made; spontaneous: a free offer
  11. not constrained or stilted; easy and graceful: a free gait
    1. generous; liberal; lavish: a free spender
    2. profuse; copious
  12. frank; straightforward
  13. too frank or familiar in speech, action, etc.; forward; indecorous
  14. with no charge or cost; gratis: a free ticket
  15. not liable to (trade restrictions, etc.); exempt from certain impositions, as taxes or duties
  16. clear of obstructions; open and unimpeded: a free road ahead
  17. open to all; esp., without restrictions as to trade: a free market, free port
  18. not in contact or connection; not fastened: the free end of a rope
  19. not united; not combined: free oxygen
  20. not opposed; favorable: said of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from straight ahead
  21. Games additional; extra: a free turn
  22. Jazz designating or of improvisation unrestricted by set harmonic structure, rhythmic patterns, tempo, etc.
  23. Linguis. designating a minimum form, or morpheme, that may occur alone as an independent word: in “boys,” boy is a free form, but -s is not

Origin: ME fre < OE freo, not in bondage, noble, glad, illustrious, akin to Ger frei, Du vrij < IE base *prei-, to be fond of, hold dear > friend, Sans priyá-, dear, desired

adverb freer, freest

  1. without cost or payment
  2. in a free manner; without obstruction, burden, obligation, etc.
  3. Naut. with a favorable wind

transitive verb freed, freeing

to make free; specif.,
  1. to release from bondage or arbitrary power, authority, obligation, etc.
  2. to clear of obstruction, entanglement, etc.; disengage

Related Forms:

free of or from, exempt from, without: used in hyphenated compounds: tax-free income

See free in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective fre·er, fre·est
  1. Not imprisoned or enslaved; being at liberty.
  2. Not controlled by obligation or the will of another: felt free to go.
  3. a. Having political independence: “America . . . is the freest and wealthiest nation in the world” (Rudolph W. Giuliani).
    b. Governed by consent and possessing or granting civil liberties: a free citizenry.
    c. Not subject to arbitrary interference by a government: a free press.
  4. a. Not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance: a healthy animal, free of disease; free from need.
    b. Not subject to a given condition; exempt: income that is free of all taxes.
  5. Not subject to external restraint: “Comment is free but facts are sacred” (Charles Prestwich Scott).
  6. Not literal or exact: a free translation.
  7. a. Costing nothing; gratuitous: a free meal.
    b. Publicly supported: free education.
  8. a. Not occupied or used: a free locker.
    b. Not taken up by scheduled activities: free time between classes.
  9. Unobstructed; clear: a free lane.
  10. Unguarded in expression or manner; open; frank.
  11. Taking undue liberties; forward or overfamiliar.
  12. Liberal or lavish: tourists who are free with their money.
  13. Given, made, or done of one's own accord; voluntary or spontaneous: a free act of the will; free choices.
  14. Chemistry & Physics
    a. Unconstrained; unconfined: free expansion.
    b. Not fixed in position; capable of relatively unrestricted motion: a free electron.
    c. Not chemically bound in a molecule: free oxygen.
    d. Involving no collisions or interactions: a free path.
    e. Empty: a free space.
    f. Unoccupied: a free energy level.
  15. Nautical Favorable: a free wind.
  16. Not bound, fastened, or attached: the free end of a chain.
  17. Linguistics
    a. Being a form, especially a morpheme, that can stand as an independent word, such as boat or bring.
    b. Being a vowel in an open syllable, as the o in go.
adverb
  1. In a free manner; without restraint.
  2. Without charge.
transitive verb freed freed, free·ing, frees
  1. To set at liberty; make free: freed the slaves; free the imagination.
  2. To relieve of a burden, obligation, or restraint: a people who were at last freed from fear.
  3. To remove obstructions or entanglements from; clear: free a path through the jungle.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English fre

Origin: , from Old English frēo

Origin: . V., from Middle English freen

Origin: , from Old English frēon, to love, set free; see prī- in Indo-European roots

.

Related Forms:

  • freeˈly adverb
  • freeˈness noun

Learn more about free

Related Articles

free

link/cite print suggestion box