free hand

American  

noun

1. unrestricted freedom or authority.

   They gave the decorator a free hand.

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free hand British  

noun

1. unrestricted freedom to act (esp in the phrase give ( someone ) a free hand )

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adjective

1. (done) by hand without the use of guiding instruments

   a freehand drawing

free hand Idioms  

1. Also, free rein. Freedom to do or decide as one sees fit. For example, The teacher gave her assistant a free hand with the class, or They gave me free rein to reorganize the department. The first expression dates from the late 1800s, the second from the mid-1900s.

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Etymology

Origin of free hand

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

free hand

Investors shouldn’t draw their lessons from the relatively free hand government allowed today’s internet giants, from Google and Facebook to Amazon and Netflix, which began as startups and grew into titans of the global economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

The Thai air force has had a free hand bombing targets inside Cambodia, which has limited air defences and no air force of its own to speak of.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

"So I had a free hand to launch reforms, as long as Spain's unity was not endangered."

From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2025

In the prior regime, Sheridan had been given a free hand creatively and on spending, which Ellison and his new executive team had reportedly signaled might not continue in the same way.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2025

With her free hand, she beckons me closer.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler