freedom of speech

American  

noun

1. the right of people to express their opinions publicly without governmental interference, subject to the laws against libel, incitement to violence or rebellion, etc.

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freedom of speech Cultural  

1. The right to speak without censorship or restraint by the government. Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment (see also First Amendment) to the Constitution. (See clear and present danger.)

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Etymology

Origin of freedom of speech

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Back then, there was no freedom of speech, human rights abuses were rampant and the rights of women in particular were severely restricted, he recalled.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Anthropic said in its lawsuit its business had been impacted by the government's actions and its right to freedom of speech had been violated.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

Only one included protections for freedom of speech.

From Slate • Feb. 24, 2026

I hope that we will not have these battles of: freedom of speech as defined by me, versus freedom of speech as defined by you.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

“If the editor of the county paper ain’t agin freedom of speech, could I jest put one more question to this young ’un?”

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt