free
free Lexical Profile
free Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not under the control, power, or physical restriction of another; enjoying personal, civil, or political liberty.
"Citizens in a democratic society are free to express their political opinions openly."
Given, provided, or available without any financial charge or required payment.
"The municipal museum offers free admission to students every Tuesday afternoon."
Not affected by, subject to, or containing a specified undesirable thing, substance, or burden.
"After months of physical therapy, the athlete was finally completely free of knee pain."
Not currently occupied, scheduled, or in use; available for a person or purpose.
"Please let the receptionist know if you have any free time tomorrow morning for a brief consultation."
Not physically fastened, attached, or obstructed; able to move unimpeded.
"She held the compass in one hand and used her free hand to trace the route on the map."
• adverb
Without financial cost or payment.
"Children under the age of twelve travel free on all regional commuter trains."
Away from physical restraint, entanglement, or confinement.
"The energetic puppy managed to wriggle free from its collar and dash across the lawn."
• verb
To release from captivity, confinement, slavery, or physical restraint.
"Wildlife rescue volunteers worked carefully through the night to free the stranded whale from the fishing net."
To make time, funds, or resources available for a particular purpose.
"Refinancing the municipal bond helped free capital for urgent infrastructure repairs."
To relieve or rid someone or something of an obligation, burden, or undesirable condition.
"Automating routine data entry will free the research team to focus on complex analysis."
Word Nuance & Usage
When describing the absence of a substance or quality, 'free of' typically implies relief from something undesirable (e.g., 'free of debt'), whereas 'free from' emphasizes protection or exemption from a potential harm (e.g., 'free from danger'). As an adverb, 'free' usually means without financial cost ('children eat free'), while 'freely' means openly or without restriction ('she spoke freely').
• Rhymes for free
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'freo' (exempt from, not in bondage), derived from the Proto-Germanic '*frijaz' (beloved, not in bondage), which traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*pri-' (to love); the shift in meaning came from describing beloved clan members as opposed to enslaved captives.