free hand

American

noun

unrestricted freedom or authority.

They gave the decorator a free hand.

free hand British

noun

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

"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

adjective

(done) by hand without the use of guiding instruments

a freehand drawing

"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

free hand Idioms

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.

Etymology

Origin of free hand

First recorded in 1925–30

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.

The floor tilts sideways, and I grab the wall with my free hand to steady myself.

From Literature

There was a railing along the bottom five steps: I grabbed it with my free hand and held on.

From Literature

With his free hand he reached for it -and missed.

From Literature

He plucks out a blade of grass with his free hand and spins it between the pads of his thumb and index finger.

From Literature

With her free hand, she beckons me closer.

From Literature

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