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freedom definition

free·dom (frē′dəm)

noun

  1. the state or quality of being free; esp.,
    1. exemption or liberation from the control of some other person or some arbitrary power; liberty; independence
    2. exemption from arbitrary restrictions on a specified civil right; civil or political liberty freedom of speech
    3. exemption or immunity from a specified obligation, discomfort, etc. freedom from want
    4. exemption or release from imprisonment
    5. a being able to act, move, use, etc. without hindrance or restraint to have the freedom of the house
    6. a being able of itself to choose or determine action freely freedom of the will
    7. ease of movement or performance; facility
    8. a being free from the usual rules, patterns, etc.
    9. frankness or easiness of manner; sometimes, an excessive frankness or familiarity
  2. a right or privilege

Etymology: ME fredom < OE freodom: see free & -dom

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

freedom Synonyms

freedom

n.

  1. Political liberty

    liberty, independence, sovereignty, autonomy, democracy, self-government, self-rule, emancipation, liberation, enfranchisement, franchise, citizenship, right, civil liberty, autarky, self-determination; see also liberty 4.

    Antonyms slavery*, bondage*, repression. *

  2. Exemption from necessity

    privilege, immunity, liberty, license, prerogative, right, carte blanche, indulgence, unrestraint, leisure, facility, range, latitude, scope, bent, play, own accord, free rein, full play, laissez faire, leeway, run, plenty of rope*.

    Antonyms restraint*, constraint*, hindrance. *

  3. Natural ease and facility

    readiness, forthrightness, spontaneity; see ease 2, informality.

  4. Liberty of action

    right to decide, freedom of choice, option, license; see choice 1.

freedom, the broadest in scope of these words, implies the absence of hindrance, restraint, confinement, or repression freedom of speech; liberty, often interchangeable with freedom, strictly connotes past or potential restriction, repression, etc. civil liberties; license implies freedom that consists in violating the usual rules, laws, or practices, either by consent poetic license or as an abuse of liberty slander is license of the tongue


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

freedom Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • restrict: However is this not restricting the individuals freedom to interact with the work?

Adjective modifier

  • religious: The external exile was usually seeking complete religious freedom.

Modifies a noun

  • fighter: They aim to interview c. 1,000 freedom fighters over a period of 5 years.

Noun used with modifier

  • press: BBC Press Monitoring Service Quite right, too, yet even some western liberals seem unaware of this danger of suppressing press freedom.

Preposition: of

  • expression: The new Act then is not likely to limit freedom of expression with respect to religion.

Preposition: from

  • slavery: It was the time when they remembered the freedom from slavery in Egypt God had given them.
freedom usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

freedom quotes

'To beginwith,' hesaid heavily,'you've gottounderstand that a seagull is an unlimited idea of freedom, an image of the Great Gull, and your whole body, from wingtip to wingtip, is nothing more than your thought itself.'

-Bach, Richard

   The Parliament of England cannot have on earth so strong pillars and pregnant supporters of all their were always told there is one golden rule: no hanky panky in theTardis.

-Baillie, Robert

Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedomissomething peopletakeand peopleareasfree as they want to be.

-Baldwin,James Arthur

freedom quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"freedom." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/freedom>

APA Style

freedom. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/freedom

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