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free thought

American

noun

thought unrestrained by deference to authority, tradition, or established belief, especially in matters of religion.

free thought British

noun

thought unrestrained and uninfluenced by dogma or authority, esp in religious matters

"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 thought

First recorded in 1705–15

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.

For many Russians, disagreement signals not free thought but chaotic disunity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Policy scarcely matters, and one wonders if free thought is on the endangered list, too.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 13, 2024

Robbing children of the chance to find their voices in literature is a violation of their right to free thought and free speech.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2023

Two new novels test the idea that asking “Why?” can be the best defense against grown-ups who push groupthink over free thought.

From New York Times • Sep. 2, 2022

The term Secularism was chosen to express the extension of free thought to ethics.

From English Secularism A Confession Of Belief by Holyoake, George Jacob

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