free

[[t]fri[/t]]

adj. fre•er, fre•est,

1) gov enjoying personal rights or liberty, as one who is not in slavery or confinement

2) gov pertaining to or reserved for those who enjoy personal liberty:

living on free soil[/ex]

3) gov existing under, characterized by, or possessing civil and political liberties:

the free nations of the world[/ex]

4) gov enjoying political independence, as a people or country not under foreign rule

5) exempt from external authority, interference, or restriction; independent:

free choice[/ex]

6) able to do something at will:

free to act[/ex]

7) clear of obstructions or obstacles:

The highway is now free of fallen rock[/ex]

8) without engagements or obligations:

free time[/ex]

9) not occupied or in use:

The room is free now[/ex]

10) exempt or released; unburdened:

free from worry; free of taxes[/ex]

11) provided without a charge:

free parking[/ex]

12) not impeded:

free movement[/ex]

13) loose; unattached:

to get one's arm free[/ex]

14) lacking self-restraint; loose; licentious

15) ready or generous in giving:

free with one's advice[/ex]

16) lavish; unstinted:

free spending[/ex]

17) frank and open; unconstrained

18) unrestrained by decency:

free behavior[/ex]

19) not subject to special regulations, restrictions, duties, etc.:

free passage[/ex]

20) of, pertaining to, or characterized by free enterprise:

a free economy[/ex]

21) open to all:

a free port[/ex]

22) not literal; loose:

a free translation[/ex]

23) not subject to rules or set forms:

free improvisation[/ex]

24) chem. uncombined chemically:

free oxygen[/ex]

25) traveling under no force except gravity or inertia:

free flight[/ex]

26) phn (of a vowel) situated in an open syllable

(opposed to checked)

27) easily worked, as stone or land

28) pho (of a variable in logic) not occurring within the scope of a quantifier

Compare bound I, 11)

29) naut. navig. (of a wind) blowing favorably nearly on the quarter

30) cvb not containing something specified (often used in combination):

a sugar-free candy; a smoke-free environment[/ex]

31) ling. (of a linguistic form) capable of being used by itself as an independent word without combination with other forms: Fire and run are free forms

Compare bound I, 10)

32) in a free manner; freely

33) naut. navig. away from the wind:

a sailboat running free[/ex]

34) to set at liberty; release from bondage, imprisonment, or restraint

35) to exempt or deliver (usu. fol. by from)

36) to relieve or rid (usu. fol. by of):

to free oneself of responsibility[/ex]

37) to disengage; clear (usu. fol. by from or of)

38) phv free up

a) to release, as from restrictions

b) to disentangle

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- for free free and easy make free with set free

Etymology: bef. 900; ME fre, OE frēo; c. OFris, OOHG frī free′ly, adv. free′ness, n. syn: See release