freestyle

[free-stahyl]

noun

1. Swimming.

   1. a competition in which any of the standard strokes may be used, according to the swimmer's choice.

   2. the crawl.

2. Wrestling.,  a style of wrestling in which the contestants are permitted to trip, tackle, and use holds below the waist.

3. a sports performance or routine featuring relatively free, unrestricted movement, or intended to demonstrate an individual's special skills or style, such as in figure skating, gymnastics, surfing, or skateboarding.

4. 1. Also called freestyle rapping. Also called freestyle rap,. a style of rap in which the topic, rhymes, and rhythm are improvised.

      Her first breakout rap album was all freestyle.

   2. a rap that is improvised throughout.

      He's known for his freestyles.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to perform a rap in which the topic, rhymes, and rhythms are improvised.

   Believe it or not, she’s freestyling all this.

freestyle

/ ˈfriːˌstaɪl /

noun

1. a competition or race, as in swimming, in which each participant may use a style of his or her choice instead of a specified style

2. 1. an amateur style of wrestling with an agreed set of rules

   2. Also called: all-in wrestling. a style of professional wrestling with no internationally agreed set of rules

3. a series of acrobatics performed in skiing, etc

4. ( as modifier )

   a freestyle event

Other Word Forms

• freestyler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of freestyle¹

First recorded in 1930–35; free + style

Example Sentences

This time I swam the corkscrew, a crazy stroke my kids learned at summer camp, where you do a freestyle stroke, roll into a back stroke, then over again into a freestyle stroke.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I need the reps, I need to know that I can do this no matter what. Similar to someone who’s freestyle rapping — if you don’t use that muscle you’re gonna lose it.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Enhanced Games offers appearance fees, with a $1m bonus on offer for breaking the world record for the 50m freestyle - the event in which Proud has won world and European gold.

Read more on BBC

Malice remembers when they used to “congregate down at the ocean front” and freestyle: “everybody would come out there.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The 12-year-old, who missed Thursday's final, swam in the heats of the women's 4x200m freestyle relay earlier this week and therefore qualified for a medal.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bathe 
• crawl 
• dive 
• float 
• glide 
• paddle 
• submerge 
• wade