freedom

American  

[free-duhm] / ˈfri dəm /

noun

freedoms plural

1. the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint.

   He won his freedom after a retrial.

2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.

3. the power to determine action without restraint.

4. political or national independence.

5. personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery.

   The formerly enslaved seamstress bought her freedom and later became Mary Todd Lincoln’s dressmaker and stylist.

6. exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually followed byfrom ).

   freedom from fear.

7. the absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc.

8. ease or facility of movement or action.

   to enjoy the freedom of living in the country.

9. frankness of manner or speech.

   Synonyms:

   ingenuousness, openness

10. general exemption or immunity.

    freedom from taxation.

11. the absence of ceremony or reserve.

12. a liberty taken.

    Synonyms:

    license

13. a particular immunity or privilege enjoyed, as by a city or corporation.

    freedom to levy taxes.

14. civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government.

15. the right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.

16. the right to frequent, enjoy, or use at will.

    to have the freedom of a friend's library.

    Synonyms:

    run

17. Philosophy. the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination.

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freedom British  

/ ˈfriːdəm /

noun

1. personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc

2. liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage

3. the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties

4. (usually foll by from) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity

   freedom from taxation

5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access

   the freedom of a city

6. autonomy, self-government, or independence

7. the power or liberty to order one's own actions

8. philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances

9. ease or frankness of manner; candour

   she talked with complete freedom

10. excessive familiarity of manner; boldness

11. ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort

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Synonym Usage

Freedom, independence, liberty refer to an absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one's rights and powers. Freedom emphasizes the opportunity given for the exercise of one's rights, powers, desires, or the like: freedom of speech or conscience; freedom of movement. Independence implies not only lack of restrictions but also the ability to stand alone, unsustained by anything else: Independence of thought promotes invention and discovery. Liberty, though most often interchanged with freedom, is also used to imply undue exercise of freedom: He took liberties with the text.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfreedom
  noun
• overfreedom
  noun
• unfreedom
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• freedoms
  plural

Etymology

Origin of freedom

First recorded before 900; Middle English fredom, Old English frēodōm; see free, -dom

Explanation

Freedom is the state of being entirely free. Many governments claim to guarantee freedom, but often people do not, in fact, have the absolute freedom to act or speak without restraint. People in jail long for freedom. People living under an oppressive government also long for freedom. In the United States, people theoretically have "freedom of speech": the right to say whatever they’re moved to say. You’ll notice the word free in freedom. Free comes from the German frei, meaning, “to love.” The word friend shares this origin. You can think of freedom as the condition in which you have the choice to love any friend you wish.

Example Sentences

College for most of us means freedom: freedom from parents, freedom to protest, to experiment, and, for me, to briefly wear a goatee.

From Slate • Jun. 24, 2026

One reason we need freedom is that the government can as easily outlaw truth as falsehood.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026

"Prisoners like Landor who suffer violations of their religious freedom in state prisons—no matter how blatant—will often be left remediless," Brown wrote.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2026

“Prisoners like Landor who suffer violations of their religious freedom in state prisons — no matter how blatant — will often be left remediless.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026

I tried, once again, to reason with him, to claim back my freedom from the bargain Samir had struck without my permission.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• autonomy
• citizenship
• democracy
• emancipation
• exemption
• immunity
• liberation
• privilege
• release
• relief
• self-determination
• self-government
• sovereignty