free

free [frē]

adj.

freer, freest [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]

1.

a) 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

b) characterized by or resulting from liberty

2.

a) 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]

b) not under control of a foreign government

3. able to move in any direction; not held, as in chains, etc.; not kept from motion; loose

4. not held or confined by a court, the police, etc.; acquitted

5. not held or burdened by obligations, debts, discomforts, etc.; unhindered; unhampered [free from pain]

6. at liberty; allowed [free to leave at any time]

7. not confined to the usual rules or patterns; not limited by convention or tradition [free verse]

8. not literal; not exact [a free translation]

9. not held or confined by prejudice or bias

10. not restricted by anything except its own limitations or nature [free will]

11. not busy or not in use; available for other work, use, etc.

12. readily done or made; spontaneous [a free offer]

13. not constrained or stilted; easy and graceful [a free gait]

14.

a) generous; liberal; lavish [a free spender]

b) profuse; copious

15. frank; straightforward

16. too frank or familiar in speech, action, etc.; forward; indecorous

17. with no charge or cost; gratis [a free ticket]

18. not liable to (trade restrictions, etc.); exempt from certain impositions, as taxes or duties

19. clear of obstructions; open and unimpeded [a free road ahead]

20. open to all; esp., without restrictions as to trade [a free market, free port]

21. not in contact or connection; not fastened [the free end of a rope]

22. not united; not combined [free oxygen]

23. not opposed; favorable: said of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from straight ahead

24. Games additional; extra [a free turn]

25. Jazz designating or of improvisation unrestricted by set harmonic structure, rhythmic patterns, tempo, etc.

26. 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]: opposed to BOUND² (adj. 8)

adv.

freer, freest

1. without cost or payment

2. in a free manner; without obstruction, burden, obligation, etc.

3. Naut. with a favorable wind

vt.

freed, freeing

to make free; specif.,

a) to release from bondage or arbitrary power, authority, obligation, etc.

b) to clear of obstruction, entanglement, etc.; disengage

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☆ for free

Informal without cost or payments; gratis

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free and easy

not constrained by formality or conventionality; informal; unceremonious

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free from or free of

1. lacking; without

2. released or removed from

3. beyond; outside of

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free up

to release, or make available, for use [to free up funds]

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give a free hand or have a free hand

to give (or have) liberty to act according to one's judgment

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make free with

1. to use or treat as if one owned; use freely

2. to take liberties with

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set free

to cause to be free; release; liberate

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with a free hand

with generosity; lavishly

freely

adv.

freeness

n.

SYN.- FREE is the general term meaning to set loose from any sort of restraint, entanglement, burden, etc. [to free a convict, one's conscience, etc. ]; RELEASE, more or less interchangeable with FREE, stresses a setting loose from confinement, literally or figuratively [release me from my promise ]; LIBERATE emphasizes the state of liberty into which the freed person or thing is brought [to liberate prisoners of war ]; EMANCIPATE refers to a freeing from the bondage of slavery or of social institutions or conventions regarded as equivalent to slavery [emancipated from medieval superstition ]; DISCHARGE, in this connection, implies a being permitted to leave that which confines or restrains [discharged at last from the army ] -ANT. RESTRAIN, BIND, CONFINE