free speech
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of free speech
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50
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.
“If every protest, every recording, every act of dissent opens us up to surveillance and retribution, privacy and free speech are at risk of collapse.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“The Fifth Amendment protection to due process, the First Amendment protection to free speech, they apply whether you’re a citizen or not,” Lee said.
From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026
Department of State gave money to groups protecting free speech, human rights and persecuted minorities in poor and authoritarian countries.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
"A platform originally designed for free speech and expression now favours abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate," she wrote.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Over to Bub’s one day, Karl said the man had the right to say such things. Said it was free speech and all that.”
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
