freehand

American

[free-hand] / ˈfriˌhænd /

adjective

drawn or executed by hand without guiding instruments, measurements, or other aids.

a freehand map.

adverb

in a freehand manner.

to draw freehand.

Etymology

Origin of freehand

First recorded in 1860–65; free + hand

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.

But the top of my crack, well, it swerves like it’s a freehand drawing done after a third martini.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

What if you lose GPS-assisted ground lock and/or the ground-sensing radar, requiring you to freehand the landing?

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

Lead conservator Dr Lucía López-Polín pieced over 200 bits of skull together freehand to return it to its original shape, including upper and lower jaws.

From Science Daily • May 1, 2024

Get colorful for spring with this poppy and pink button-down shirt, alive with butterflies, roses and freehand drawings.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2023

She was holding a candle, and she bent over and spoke quietly, holding Lyra still with her freehand.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

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