Synonyms

freely

American

[free-lee] / ˈfri li /

adverb

in a free manner.

Etymology

Origin of freely

before 900; Middle English freliche, Old English frēolīce. See free, -ly

Explanation

When you do something freely, you act without restraint or control by anyone or anything. Weekends are best when you can freely choose when to wake up and what to do with your days. Many people spend their childhoods yearning to be older so they can freely live their lives. On a smaller scale, if you let your backyard chickens roam unchecked around your property, they can move freely; and if you ice skate on a lake instead of a small indoor rink, you can move freely, in any direction, without being scolded. Freely comes from free, with its Old English root freo, "acting of one's own will."

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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.

By 2030, China hopes to boast a mostly unified electricity market, with 70% of electricity consumption priced off supply and demand price signals and freely traded, Ma writes.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Kpler data shows Iranian oil is moving freely through Hormuz, while the only non-Iranian very large crude carrier loadings are on vessels chartered by China or Thailand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Alice Oseman’s fictional world, where LGBTQ+ teenagers freely explore love, friendship and identity, expanded first to graphic novels before being turned into a hugely popular Netflix series.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

They reported seeing "older men… in their twenties" freely sharing their opinions online about "what women should look like".

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

She hadn’t ever met anyone who spoke so freely.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

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