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free thought

American

noun

thought unrestrained by deference to authority, tradition, or established belief, especially in matters of religion.

free thought British

noun

thought unrestrained and uninfluenced by dogma or authority, esp in religious matters

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of free thought

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For many Russians, disagreement signals not free thought but chaotic disunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

When the newspaper elPeriodico was founded in Guatemala in 1996, the country was emerging from a brutal civil war, and there was a feeling that a small space for free thought might be opening.

From New York Times • May 16, 2023

So it is good to know that there are educators in this world who encourage free thought and free expression among students who want candidly to discuss events relevant to their lives.

From Washington Post • Mar. 9, 2023

Its founders envisaged it as a bastion of free thought.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2023

We have free bodies, free consciences, free speech, free thought, free action, free Bibles, a free press, and free homes.

From Practical Religion Being Plain Papers on the Daily Duties, Experience, Dangers, and Privileges of Professing Christians by Ryle, John Charles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023