free
adjective
\ ˈfrē
\
\
freer;
freest
Definition of free
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: not costing or charging anything
a free school a free ticket
2a
: having the legal and political rights of a citizen
setting the slave free
b
: enjoying civil and political liberty
free citizens
c
: enjoying political independence or freedom from outside domination
This is a free country.
d
: enjoying personal freedom : not subject to the control or domination of another
You are free to do whatever you want.
3a
: not determined by anything beyond its own nature or being : choosing or capable of choosing for itself
a player free to negotiate a contract with any team
b
: determined by the choice of the actor or performer
free actions
c
: made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously
gave his free consent
4a
: relieved from or lacking something and especially something unpleasant or burdensome
free from pain a speech free of political rhetoric
—often used in combination error-free
b
: not bound, confined, or detained by force
The prisoner is now free.
5a
: having no trade restrictions
duty-free imports
b
: not subject to government regulation
free competition
c
of foreign exchange
: not subject to restriction or official control
6a
: having no obligations (as to work) or commitments
I'll be free this evening
b
: not taken up with commitments or obligations
a free evening
7
: having a scope not restricted by qualification
a free variable
8a
: not obstructed, restricted, or impeded
free to leave
b
: not being used or occupied
waved with his free hand
c
: not hampered or restricted in its normal operation
9a
: not fastened
the free end of the rope
b
: not confined to a particular position or place
in twelve-tone music, no note is wholly free for it must hold its place in the series— J. L. Stewart
c
: capable of moving or turning in any direction
a free particle
d
: performed without apparatus
free tumbling
e
: done with artificial aids (such as pitons) used only for protection against falling and not for support
a free climb
10a
: not parsimonious
free spending
b
: outspoken
is free in his criticism
c
: availing oneself of something without stint
she's very free with her money
e
: overly familiar or forward in action or attitude
a young man who had been much too free with the ladies of the town— Harvey Graham
f
: licentious
inexcusably free talk before the ladies
11a(1)
: not united with, attached to, combined with, or mixed with something else : separate
free ores a free surface of a bodily part
(2)
: freestanding
a free column
b
: chemically uncombined
free oxygen free acids
c
: not permanently attached but able to move about
a free electron in a metal
d
: capable of being used alone as a meaningful linguistic form
the word hats is a free form
— compare bound entry 5 sense 7
12a
: not literal or exact
free translation
b
: not restricted by or conforming to conventional forms
free skating
13
: favorable
—used of a wind blowing from a direction more than six points from dead ahead
14
: not allowing slavery
was admitted to the Union as a free state
15
: open to all comers
that most pleasurable of Anglo-Saxon pastimes, a free fight— Winston Churchill
for free
: without charge
free
adverbDefinition of free (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: in a free manner
2
: without charge
3
: with the wind more than six points from dead ahead
sailing free
free
verb
freed;
freeing
Definition of free (Entry 3 of 3)
1a
: to cause to be free
b
: to relieve or rid of what restrains, confines, restricts, or embarrasses
free a person from debt
—often used with up free up space on the hard drive
c
: disentangle, clear