free (friː
)
Definitions
adjective
Word forms: freer, freest
- able to act at will; not under compulsion or restraint
- having personal rights or liberty; not enslaved or confined
- ((as noun) ⇒
land of the free
- (often postpositive) from not subject (to) or restricted (by some regulation, constraint, etc); exempt ⇒
a free market
free from pain
- (of a country, etc) autonomous or independent
- exempt from external direction or restriction; not forced or induced ⇒
free will
- not subject to conventional constraints ⇒
free verse
- (of jazz) totally improvised, with no preset melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic basis
- not exact or literal ⇒
a free translation
- costing nothing; provided without charge ⇒
free entertainment
- law (of property)
- not subject to payment of rent or performance of services; freehold
- not subject to any burden or charge, such as a mortgage or lien; unencumbered
- (postpositive; often foll by of or with) ready or generous in using or giving; liberal; lavish ⇒
free with advice
- unrestrained by propriety or good manners; licentious
- not occupied or in use; available ⇒
a free cubicle
- not occupied or busy; without previous engagements ⇒
I'm not free until Wednesday
- open or available to all; public
- without charge to the subscriber or user ⇒
freepost
freephone
- not fixed or joined; loose ⇒
the free end of a chain
- without obstruction or impediment ⇒
free passage
- chemistry chemically uncombined ⇒
free nitrogen
- phonetics denoting a vowel that can occur in an open syllable, such as the vowel in denoting a vowel that can occur in an open syllable, such as the vowel in see as opposed to the vowel in denoting a vowel that can occur in an open syllable, such as the vowel in as opposed to the vowel in cat
- grammar denoting a morpheme that can occur as a separate word Compare bound1 (sense 8a)
- logic denoting an occurrence of a variable not bound by a quantifier Compare bound1 (sense 9)
- (of some materials, such as certain kinds of stone) easily worked
- nautical (of the wind) blowing from the quarter
- See feel free
- See for free
- See free and easy
- See make free with
adverb
- in a free manner; freely
- without charge or cost
- nautical with the wind blowing from the quarter ⇒
a yacht sailing free
verb
Word forms: frees, freeing, freed
(tr) - (sometimes foll by up) to set at liberty; release
- to remove obstructions, attachments, or impediments from; disengage
- of or from to relieve or rid (of obstacles, pain, etc)
noun
- informal a freesheet
Alternative Forms
ˈfreer noun ˈfreely adverb ˈfreeness nounWord Origin
Old English frēo ; related to Old Saxon, Old High German frī , Gothic freis free, Sanskrit priya dearSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
complimentary,
for free,
for nothing,
unpaid,
for love,
free of charge,
on the house,
without charge
gratuitous,
at no cost
gratis,
buckshee,
open or open source
=
allowed,
permitted,
unrestricted,
unimpeded,
at liberty,
open,
clear,
able,
loose,
unattached,
unregulated,
disengaged,
untrammelled,
unobstructed,
unhampered,
unengaged,
=
independent,
unfettered,
unrestrained,
uncommitted,
footloose,
unconstrained,
unengaged,
not tied down
=
generous,
willing,
liberal,
eager,
lavish,
charitable,
hospitable,
prodigal,
bountiful,
open-handed,
unstinting,
unsparing,
bounteous,
munificent,
big,
=
autonomous,
independent,
democratic,
sovereign,
self-ruling
self-governing,
emancipated,
self-determining,
autarchic,
=
relaxed,
open,
easy,
forward,
natural,
frank,
liberal,
familiar,
loose,
casual,
informal,
spontaneous,
laid-back,
easy-going,
lax,
uninhibited,
unforced,
free and easy,
unbidden,
unconstrained,
unceremonious,
=
clear,
deliver,
disengage,
cut loose,
release,
rescue,
rid,
relieve,
exempt,
undo,
redeem,
ransom,
extricate,
unburden,
unshackle,
Quotations
"Free at last, Free at lastThank God AlmightyI'm Free at last"
"The free way of life proposes ends, but it does not prescribe means"
"I am condemned to be free"
"The thoughts of a prisoner - they're not free either. They keep returning to the same things"
"The best things in life are free"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch"
Translations
- British English:
free
If you are free, you can do what you like or go where you like.You are free to come here any time.friː ADJECTIVE You are free to come here any time.
- Spanish:
libre
adj
- French:
libre
adj
- German:
frei
adj
- Chinese: 自由的 adj
- Arabic: حُرّ adj
- Portuguese: livre adj
- Russian: свободный adj свободная
- Croatian: slobodan adj slobodna
- Czech: volný adj
- Danish: fri adj
- Dutch: onbeperkt adj
- Finnish: vapaa adj
- Greek: ελεύθερος adj ελεύθερη
- Italian: libero adj libera
- Japanese: 自由な no_posp
- Korean: 자유로운 adj
- Norwegian: fri adj
- Polish: wolny adj wolna
- Brazilian Portuguese: livre adj
- European Spanish:
libre
adj
- Swedish: fri adj fritt
- Thai: ปล่อย adj
- Turkish: özgür adj
- Vietnamese: tự do adj
- British English:
free
If something is free, you can have it without paying any money for it.If you buy a cup of coffee, you get a free cake.friː ADJECTIVE If you buy a cup of coffee, you get a free cake.
- Spanish:
gratis
adj
- French:
gratuit
adj
- German:
kostenlos
adj
- Chinese: 免费的 adj
- Arabic: مَجَّاناً adj
- Portuguese: gratuito adj gratuita
- Russian: бесплатный adj бесплатная
- Croatian: besplatan adj besplatna
- Czech: zadarmo adv
- Danish: gratis adj
- Dutch: gratis adj
- Finnish: ilmainen adj
- Greek: δωρεάν adj
- Italian: gratis adj
- Japanese: 無料の no_posp
- Korean: 무료의 adj
- Norwegian: gratis adj
- Polish: bezpłatny adj bezpłatna
- Brazilian Portuguese: gratuito adj gratuita
- European Spanish:
gratis
adj
- Swedish: gratis adj
- Thai: ฟรี adj
- Turkish: bedava adj
- Vietnamese: miễn phí adj
- British English:
free
If you free someone of something unpleasant, you remove it from them.It will free us of debt.friː VERB It will free us of debt.
- Spanish:
soltar
v
- French:
libérer
vt
- German:
befreien
v
- Chinese: 摆脱 v
- Arabic: يُحَرِّرُ vt
- Portuguese: libertar v
- Russian: освобождать v
- Croatian: osloboditi v
- Czech: osvobodit v osvobozovat
- Danish: befri v
- Dutch: vrijmaken v
- Finnish: vapauttaa v
- Greek: ελευθερώνω v
- Italian: liberare v
- Japanese: ･･･を自由にする v
- Korean: 자유롭게 해주다 v
- Norwegian: frigjøre v
- Polish: uwolnić v uwalniać
- Brazilian Portuguese: libertar v
- European Spanish:
soltar
v
- Swedish: frita v
- Thai: ทำให้อิสระ v
- Turkish: özgürlüğüne kavuşturmak v
- Vietnamese: thả tự do v
Usage examples
Desperately, she pushed to free herself, reaching towards Life, reaching for the day, for the Dog, for everything she loved.
, LIRAEL: DAUGHTER OF THE CLAYR (2001)Level free draing land suitable for paddocks or polo pitch (subject to consent).
Country Life (2004)They are pursuing crafts and tailoring in an attempt to earn money for themselves and break free from prostitution.
Irish Times (2002)Three times a week, free fruit is delivered to the classroom.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The image of a free constitution was preserved with decent reverence.
, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)