free love

American

noun

the doctrine or practice of having sexual relations or living together without legal marriage or continuing obligation.

free love British

noun

the practice of sexual relationships without fidelity to a single partner or without formal or legal ties

"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 love

First recorded in 1815–25

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.

They sought to completely alter society and often advocated innovations like communal housing, free love, and women’s rights—all considered radical at the time.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

An early instance of antinomian free love provokes the apostle Paul to write to the Corinthians in his New Testament letter.

From Salon • Oct. 8, 2022

For the Romantics, as we see in detail, free thinking and free love were inseparable, and the personal consequences were often excruciating.

From Washington Post • Sep. 22, 2022

As a 1970s college student, Zollar said, she involved herself with the feminist, anti-Vietnam War, free love and Black power movements.

From New York Times • Jul. 18, 2022

He had learned from the past and knew change couldn’t just come from free love, peace, and brotherhood.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

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