freethinker

[ free-thing-ker ]

/ ˈfriˈθɪŋ kər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR freethinker ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who forms opinions on the basis of reason, independent of authority or tradition, especially a person whose religious opinions differ from established belief.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of freethinker

First recorded in 1685–95; free + thinker

SYNONYMS FOR freethinker

skeptic, agnostic; atheist.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR freethinker ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsfree·think·ing, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for freethinking

The responsibility of a freethinking adult is to learn how to make the right judgment.
David Foster Wallace, Traditionalist? Considering ‘Both Flesh and Not: Essays’|David Masciotra|November 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Why then does Professor Huxley press the "possibility" of miracles against his Freethinking friends?
Flowers of Freethought|George W. Foote
The necessity of freethinking is shown by the endless variety of opinions which priests hold about all religious questions.
The English Church in the Eighteenth Century|Charles J. Abbey and John H. Overton
The tacit or expressed aim of all Freethinking, has ever been true thinking and pure thinking.
The Principles Of Secularism|George Jacob Holyoake

But our Sham Rao had a slight tendency to freethinking, as we knew, and besides, he was too much of an admirer of Haeckel.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
For his freethinking opinions he was obliged to leave his country and reside in Paris.
A Biographical Dictionary of Freethinkers of All Ages and Nations|Joseph Mazzini Wheeler

British Dictionary definitions for freethinking

freethinker

/ (ˌfriːˈθɪŋkə) /

noun

a person who forms his or her ideas and opinions independently of authority or accepted views, esp in matters of religion

Derived Formsfreethinking, noun, adjective

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