freedom (ˈfriːdəm
)
Definitions
noun
- personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc
- liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage
- the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties
- (usually foll by from) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity ⇒
freedom from taxation
- the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access ⇒
the freedom of a city
- autonomy, self-government, or independence
- the power or liberty to order one's own actions
- philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances
- ease or frankness of manner; candour ⇒
she talked with complete freedom
- excessive familiarity of manner; boldness
- ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort
Word Origin
Old English frēodōmSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
independence,
democracy,
sovereignty,
autonomy,
self-determination,
emancipation,
self-government,
home rule,
autarchy,
rangatiratanga,
=
licence,
latitude,
a free hand,
free rein
play,
power,
range,
opportunity,
ability,
facility,
scope,
flexibility,
discretion,
leeway,
carte blanche,
blank cheque,
elbowroom,
=
openness,
ease,
directness,
naturalness,
abandon,
familiarity,
candour,
frankness,
informality,
casualness,
ingenuousness,
lack of restraint or reserve unconstraint
Quotations
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
"Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently"
"We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression ... The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way ... The third is freedom from want ... The fourth is freedom from fear"
"Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains"
"No human being, however great or powerful, was ever so free as a fish"
"Man is a free agent; were it otherwise, the priests would not damn him"
"Perfect freedom is reserved for the man who lives by his own work and in that work does what he wants to do"
"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows"
Translations
- British English:
freedom
Freedom is the state of being allowed to do what you want....freedom of speech.ˈfriːdəm NOUN ...freedom of speech.
- Spanish:
libertad
nf
- French:
liberté
nf
- German:
Freiheit
nf
- Chinese: 自由 n
- Arabic: حُرِيَّة n
- Portuguese: liberdade nf
- Russian: свобода nf
- Croatian: sloboda nf
- Czech: svoboda nf
- Danish: frihed nutr
- Dutch: vrijheid nf
- Finnish: vapaus n
- Greek: ελευθερία nf
- Italian: libertà nf
- Japanese: 自由 n
- Korean: 자유 n
- Norwegian: frihet nm
- Polish: wolność nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: liberdade nf
- European Spanish:
libertad
nf
- Swedish: frihet nutr
- Thai: ความเป็นอิสระ n
- Turkish: özgürlük n
- Vietnamese: tự do n
Usage examples
And also, we're only all here living in freedom because of what our grandparents did.
, GOING OUT (2002)You understand yourself better when you have more time and freedom to actually spend time dealing with yourself.
NME (New Musical Express) (2002)The 6th of June sounded the hour when history tipped towards the camp of freedom.
Irish Times (2002)The three big Scottish workplace schemes now have considerable freedom to lend larger amounts.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Whilst recreational drug use is an unconscious urge for transcendence, a yearning for freedom , it is exactly that -- unconscious!
, MOVING INTO ECSTASY: An Urban Mystic's Guide to Movement, Music and Meditation (2001)