Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,726,226,574 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

freedom

   Also found in: Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
free·dom  (frdm)
n.
1. The condition of being free of restraints.
2. Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression.
3.
a. Political independence.
b. Exemption from the arbitrary exercise of authority in the performance of a specific action; civil liberty: freedom of assembly.
4. Exemption from an unpleasant or onerous condition: freedom from want.
5. The capacity to exercise choice; free will: We have the freedom to do as we please all afternoon.
6. Ease or facility of movement: loose sports clothing, giving the wearer freedom.
7. Frankness or boldness; lack of modesty or reserve: the new freedom in movies and novels.
8.
a. The right to unrestricted use; full access: was given the freedom of their research facilities.
b. The right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship: the freedom of the city.
9. A right or the power to engage in certain actions without control or interference: "the seductive freedoms and excesses of the picaresque form" (John W. Aldridge).

[Middle English fredom, from Old English frodm : fro, free; see free + -dm, -dom.]
Synonyms: freedom, liberty, license
These nouns refer to the power to act, speak, or think without externally imposed restraints. Freedom is the most general term: "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free" (Abraham Lincoln).
Liberty stresses the power of free choice: "liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases" (William Hazlitt).
License sometimes denotes deliberate deviation from normally applicable rules or practices to achieve a desired effect: poetic license.
Frequently, though, it denotes undue freedom: "the intolerable license with which the newspapers break . . . the rules of decorum" (Edmund Burke).

freedom [ˈfriːdəm]
n
1. personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc.
2. liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage
3. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties
4. (usually foll by from) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity freedom from taxation
5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access the freedom of a city
6. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) autonomy, self-government, or independence
7. the power or liberty to order one's own actions
8. (Philosophy) Philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances
9. ease or frankness of manner; candour she talked with complete freedom
10. excessive familiarity of manner; boldness
11. ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort
[Old English frēodōm]

Freedom
independent self-rule free from outside influence.
a doctrine of or belief in social equality or the right of all people to participate equally in politics.
Rare. a strong desire for freedom.
an abnormal fear of freedom.
1. a condition of freedom.
2. a right or privilege, especially the right to vote.
1. the advocacy of freedom, especially in thought or conduct.
2. Theology. the advocacy of the doctrine of free will. See also necessitarianism. — libertarian, n., adj.
1. the destruction of freedom.
2. the destroyer of freedom. — liberticidal, adj.
the act of setting free or being set free from slavery; emancipation.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.freedomfreedom - the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state"
academic freedom - the freedom of teachers and students to express their ideas in school without religious or political or institutional restrictions
enfranchisement - freedom from political subjugation or servitude
blank check, free hand - freedom to do as you see fit; "many have doubts about giving him a free hand to attack"
free rein, play - the removal of constraints; "he gave free rein to his impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent"
freedom of the seas - the right of merchant ships to travel freely in international waters
independence, independency - freedom from control or influence of another or others
liberty - freedom of choice; "liberty of opinion"; "liberty of worship"; "liberty--perfect liberty--to think or feel or do just as one pleases"; "at liberty to choose whatever occupation one wishes"
civil liberty, political liberty - one's freedom to exercise one's rights as guaranteed under the laws of the country
liberty - personal freedom from servitude or confinement or oppression
svoboda - (Russia) freedom
2.freedom - immunity from an obligation or duty
immunity, unsusceptibility - the state of not being susceptible; "unsusceptibility to rust"
amnesty - a period during which offenders are exempt from punishment
diplomatic immunity - exemption from taxation or normal processes of law that is offered to diplomatic personnel in a foreign country
indemnity - legal exemption from liability for damages
impunity - exemption from punishment or loss
grandfather clause - an exemption based on circumstances existing prior to the adoption of some policy; used to enfranchise illiterate whites in south after the American Civil War

freedom
noun
2. right, privilege, entitlement, prerogative freedom of speech
3. liberty, release, discharge, emancipation, deliverance, manumission All hostages and detainees would gain their freedom.
liberty slavery, imprisonment, dependence, captivity, bondage, servitude, thraldom
4. exemption, release, relief, privilege, immunity, impunity freedom from government control
6. openness, ease, directness, naturalness, abandon, familiarity, candour, frankness, informality, casualness, ingenuousness, lack of restraint or reserve, unconstraint His freedom of manner ran contrary to the norm.
openness caution, restraint
Related words
like eleutheromania
Quotations
"Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently" [Rosa Luxemburg Die Russische Revolution]
"We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression ... The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way ... The third is freedom from want ... The fourth is freedom from fear" [Franklin D. Roosevelt annual message to Congress]
"Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains" [Jean Jacques Rousseau The Social Contract]
"No human being, however great or powerful, was ever so free as a fish" [John Ruskin The Two Paths]
"Man is a free agent; were it otherwise, the priests would not damn him" [Voltaire Philosophical Dictionary]
"Perfect freedom is reserved for the man who lives by his own work and in that work does what he wants to do" [R.G. Collingwood Speculum Mentis]
"Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows" [George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four]
Translations
freedom [ˈfriːdəm]
A. N
1. (gen) → libertad f
freedom of actionlibertad f de acción
freedom of associationlibertad f de asociación
freedom of choicelibertad f de elección
freedom of informationlibertad f de información
Freedom of Information Act (US) → ley f del derecho a la información
freedom of the presslibertad f de prensa
freedom of speechlibertad f de expresión
freedom of worshiplibertad f de culto
to give sb the freedom of a cityhacer a algn ciudadano honorífico or hijo predilecto de la ciudad
2. (from care, responsibility etc) they want freedom from government controlno quieren estar sometidos al control del gobierno, quieren estar libres del control del gobierno
she found her sudden freedom from responsibility exhilaratingviéndose de repente liberada de sus responsabilidades, se sentía eufórica
3. (= liberation) → liberación f
B. CPD freedom fighter Nguerrillero/a m/f
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
El Freedom of Information Act o FOIA es la ley estadounidense del derecho a la información, que obliga a los organismos federales a proporcionar información sobre sus actividades a cualquiera que lo solicite, lo que resulta muy útil, sobre todo a los periodistas. Esta información debe ser facilitada por el Estado en un plazo de diez días laborables y, en caso de que no se acceda a la solicitud, esta decisión tiene que ser debidamente justificada. Los motivos para retener la información pueden ser varios, entre ellos el que se ponga en peligro la seguridad nacional, se revelen secretos comerciales o que la información afecte a la vida privada de los ciudadanos. Entre otras noticias, el FOIA ha hecho posible la publicación de información anteriormente catalogada como secreta sobre asuntos de extrema importancia, como la guerra de Vietnam y las actividades de espionaje ilegal del FBI.

freedom [ˈfriːdəm] n (social, political)liberté f
freedom of speech → liberté de parole
freedom of choice → liberté de choix
freedom of movement → liberté f de mouvement
freedom fighter nguérillero m
freedom of expression nliberté f d'expression
Freedom of Information Act nloi f sur la liberté d'information
free enterprise nlibre entreprise f
free fall n
(= jump) → chute f libre
(fig) to go into free fall (= plummet) [price, value] → être en chute libre
freefall parachuting nchute f libre
free-floating [ˌfriːfləʊtɪŋ] adj
(= untrammelled) [person] → sans attaches
[exchange rate] → flottant(e)
free-for-all [ˈfriːfərɔːl] nmêlée f générale
free gift ncadeau m promotionnel

freedom
n
Freiheit f; freedom of action/speech/worshipHandlungs-/Rede-/Religionsfreiheit f; freedom of associationVereinsfreiheit f; freedom of the pressPressefreiheit f; freedom of the seasFreiheit fder Meere; to give somebody (the) freedom to do somethingjdm (die) Freiheit lassen, etw zu tun; freedom from somethingFreiheit fvon etw
(= frankness)Offenheit f; (= overfamiliarity)plumpe (inf)or zu große Vertraulichkeit
(= permission to use freely) the freedom of the citydie (Ehren)bürgerrechte pl; to give somebody the freedom of one’s housejdm sein Haus zur freien Verfügung stellen

freedom [ˈfriːdəm] n freedom (from)libertà (da)
to give sb the freedom of one's house → mettere la propria casa a disposizione di qn
the freedom of the press → la libertà di stampa
to give sb the freedom of the city → dare a qn la cittadinanza onoraria
freedom of speech → libertà di parola
freedom of movement → libertà di movimento
freedom [ˈfriːdəm] n freedom (from)libertà (da)
to give sb the freedom of one's house → mettere la propria casa a disposizione di qn
the freedom of the press → la libertà di stampa
to give sb the freedom of the city → dare a qn la cittadinanza onoraria
freedom of speech → libertà di parola
freedom of movement → libertà di movimento

freedom حرية svoboda frihed Freiheit ελευθερία libertad vapaus liberté sloboda libertà 自由 자유 vrijheid frihet wolność liberdade свобода frihet ความเป็นอิสระ özgürlük tự do 自由


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The abolition of bourgeois individuality, bourgeois independence, and bourgeois freedom is undoubtedly aimed at.
So far as I can now recall, the first knowledge that I got of the fact that we were slaves, and that freedom of the slaves was being discussed, was early one morning before day, when I was awakened by my mother kneeling over her children and fervently praying that Lincoln and his armies might be successful, and that one day she and her children might be free.
But in the loneliest wilderness happeneth the second metamorphosis: here the spirit becometh a lion; freedom will it capture, and lordship in its own wilderness.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.