Adjacent Words

Freedom definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FREE'DOM, n.
1. A state of exemption from the power or control of another; liberty; exemption from slavery, servitude or confinement. Freedom is personal, civil, political, and religious. [See Liberty.]
2. Particular privileges; franchise; immunity; as the freedom of a city.
3. Power of enjoying franchises.
4. Exemption from fate, necessity, or any constraint in consequence of predetermination or otherwise; as the freedom of the will.
5. Any exemption from constraint or control.
6. Ease or facility of doing any thing. He speaks or acts with freedom.
7. Frankness; boldness. He addressed his audience with freedom.
8. License; improper familiarity; violation of the rules of decorum; with a plural. Beware of what are called innocent freedoms.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
2: immunity from an obligation or duty [syn: exemption, freedom]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: before 12th century 1. the quality or state of being free: as a. the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b. liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another ; independence c. the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous <freedom from care> d. ease, facility <spoke the language with freedom> e. the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken <answered with freedom> f. improper familiarity g. boldness of conception or execution h. unrestricted use <gave him the freedom of their home> 2. a. a political right b. franchise, privilege Synonyms: freedom, liberty, license mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion. freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated <freedom of the press>. liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion <the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty>. license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom <freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the condition of being free or unrestricted. 2 personal or civic liberty; absence of slave status. 3 the power of self-determination; independence of fate or necessity. 4 the state of being free to act (often foll. by to + infin. : we have the freedom to leave). 5 frankness, outspokenness; undue familiarity. 6 (foll. by from) the condition of being exempt from or not subject to (a defect, burden, etc.). 7 (foll. by of) a full or honorary participation in (membership, privileges, etc.). b unrestricted use of (facilities etc.). 8 a privilege possessed by a city or corporation. 9 facility or ease in action. 10 boldness of conception. Phrases and idioms: the four freedoms freedom of speech and religion, and freedom from fear and want. freedom fighter a person who takes part in violent resistance to an established political system etc. Etymology: OE freodom (as FREE, -DOM)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Freedom Free"dom (fr[=e]"d[u^]m), n. [AS. fre['o]d[=o]m; fre['o]free + -dom. See Free, and -dom.] 1. The state of being free; exemption from the power and control of another; liberty; independence. Made captive, yet deserving freedom more. --Milton. 2. Privileges; franchises; immunities. Your charter and your caty's freedom. --Shak. 3. Exemption from necessity, in choise and action; as, the freedom of the will. 4. Ease; facility; as, he speaks or acts with freedom. 5. Frankness; openness; unreservedness. I emboldened spake and freedom used. --Milton. 6. Improper familiarity; violation of the rules of decorum; license. 7. Generosity; liberality. [Obs.] --Chaucer. Freedom fine, a sum paid on entry to incorporations of trades. Freedom of the city, the possession of the rights and privileges of a freeman of the city; formerly often, and now occasionally, conferred on one not a resident, as a mark of honorary distinction for public services. Syn: See Liberty.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(freedoms) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Freedom is the state of being allowed to do what you want to do. Freedoms are instances of this. ...freedom of speech... They want greater political freedom... Today we have the freedom to decide our own futures... The United Nations Secretary-General has spoken of the need for individual freedoms and human rights. N-UNCOUNT: also N in pl 2. When prisoners or slaves are set free or escape, they gain their freedom. ...the agreement worked out by the UN, under which all hostages and detainees would gain their freedom. = liberty N-UNCOUNT: oft poss N 3. Freedom from something you do not want means not being affected by it. ...all the freedom from pain that medicine could provide. ...freedom from government control. N-UNCOUNT: N from n 4. The freedom of a particular city is a special honour which is given to a famous person who is connected with that city, or to someone who has performed some special service for the city. N-SING: the N of n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The law of Moses pointed out the cases in which the servants of the Hebrews were to receive their freedom (Ex. 21:2-4, 7, 8; Lev. 25:39-42, 47-55; Deut. 15:12-18). Under the Roman law the "freeman" (ingenuus) was one born free; the "freedman" (libertinus) was a manumitted slave, and had not equal rights with the freeman (Acts 22:28; comp. Acts 16:37-39; 21:39; 22:25; 25:11, 12).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Independence, exemption from restraint. See liberty. 2. Scope, range, play, swing, free play, full play, full swing. 3. Franchise, immunity, privilege. 4. Familiarity, license, laxity, looseness.

Moby Thesaurus

arrogance, artlessness, audaciousness, audacity, authority, authorization, autonomy, bigheartedness, blank check, bluffness, bluntness, boldness, bounteousness, bountifulness, bounty, brass, brazenness, broadness, brusqueness, candidness, candor, carte blanche, clarity, clear coast, clear road, compass, convenience, copyright, deliverance, deregulation, directness, discretion, dispensation, disrespect, ease, easiness, easy going, easy purse strings, effortlessness, emancipation, exemption, facileness, facility, favor, forthrightness, forwardness, franchise, frankness, free hand, free time, freehandedness, freeheartedness, freeness, gall, generosity, generousness, genuineness, givingness, goof-off time, graciousness, grant, great heart, greatheartedness, highroad, honesty, hospitality, idle hours, immunity, impertinence, impudence, independence, indulgence, ingenuousness, intelligibility, lack of hindrance, largeheartedness, largeness, largess, latitude, leisure, liberality, liberalness, liberation, liberty, license, magnanimity, manumission, margin, munificence, naturalness, nerve, odd moments, open hand, open heart, openhandedness, openheartedness, openness, outspokenness, patent, permission, plain dealing, plain sailing, plain speaking, plainness, plainspokenness, plane sailing, play, power, prerogative, presumption, presumptuousness, privilege, range, release, relief, repose, rest, retirement, right, roundness, royal road, scope, self-determination, self-direction, self-government, semiretirement, simplicity, sincerity, smooth road, smooth sailing, smoothness, spare time, special favor, straight sailing, straightforwardness, sweep, time, time to kill, time to spare, uncomplexity, uncomplicatedness, unconstraint, unreserve, unrestraint, unselfishness, warrant, welcome