freedom

[free-duhm]

noun

1. the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.

   He won his freedom after a retrial.

2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.

3. the power to determine action without restraint.

4. political or national independence.

5. personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery.

   The formerly enslaved seamstress bought her freedom and later became Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker and stylist.

6. exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually followed byfrom ).

   freedom from fear.

7. the absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc.

8. ease or facility of movement or action.

   to enjoy the freedom of living in the country.

9. frankness of manner or speech.

   Synonyms: ingenuousness, openness

10. general exemption or immunity.

    freedom from taxation.

11. the absence of ceremony or reserve.

12. a liberty taken.

    Synonyms: license

13. a particular immunity or privilege enjoyed, as by a city or corporation.

    freedom to levy taxes.

14. civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government.

15. the right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.

16. the right to frequent, enjoy, or use at will.

    to have the freedom of a friend's library.

    Synonyms: run

17. Philosophy.,  the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination.

freedom

/ ˈfriːdəm /

noun

1. personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc

2. liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage

3. the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties

4. (usually foll by from) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity

   freedom from taxation

5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access

   the freedom of a city

6. autonomy, self-government, or independence

7. the power or liberty to order one's own actions

8. philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances

9. ease or frankness of manner; candour

   she talked with complete freedom

10. excessive familiarity of manner; boldness

11. ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort

Other Word Forms

• nonfreedom noun
• overfreedom noun
• unfreedom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of freedom¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English fredom, Old English frēodōm; free, -dom

Word History and Origins

Origin of freedom¹

Old English frēodōm

Synonym Study

Freedom, independence, liberty refer to an absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one's rights and powers. Freedom emphasizes the opportunity given for the exercise of one's rights, powers, desires, or the like: freedom of speech or conscience; freedom of movement. Independence implies not only lack of restrictions but also the ability to stand alone, unsustained by anything else: Independence of thought promotes invention and discovery. Liberty, though most often interchanged with freedom, is also used to imply undue exercise of freedom: He took liberties with the text.

Example Sentences

"Raila Odinga was a true champion of democracy. A child of independence, he endured decades of struggle and sacrifice for the broader cause of freedom and self-governance in Kenya," Mr Obama wrote on X.

Read more on BBC

Other schools, including academies, free schools, foundation schools and voluntary-aided schools, have more freedom to set their own term dates.

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"I think it's good that we're having this debate and that we're openly talking about this issue," he said, "because compulsory service is always a massive infringement on the freedom of the individual."

Read more on Barron's

There have been more than 1,800 complaints about practitioners since 2022, according to freedom of information data we requested from councils.

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The Uganda Law Society said Mr Sebuufu's ordeal had not been an isolated case, but was "part of a systematic campaign to silence dissent and crush the aspirations of people yearning for freedom".

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Related Words

• autonomy 
• citizenship 
• democracy 
• emancipation 
• exemption 
• immunity 
• liberation 
• privilege 
• release 
• relief 
• self-determination 
• self-government 
• sovereignty