Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - free

~1 adj ALLOWED TO DO WHAT YOU WANT 1 allowed to do whatever you want, without being controlled or restricted  (free to do sth)  (The children are free to decide which activity they would like to do.) 2 feel free spoken used to tell someone that they can do something  (Feel free to ask questions. | "Can I make myself some tea?" "Feel free.") 3 without restrictions or controls  (We had a free and open discussion about religion. | a free exchange of information | free access/passage/movement etc)  (free movement of people and goods between the towns | free speech (=being able to say whatever you want)) 4 free election/society/press an election etc that is not controlled by the government so that people can vote, live etc how they want to 5 give sb a free hand/rein to let someone do whatever they want or need to do in a particular situation  (She gave the producer a free rein with the script.) 6 free and easy relaxed, friendly, and without many rules  (a free and easy discussion) 7 a free spirit someone who lives as they want to rather than in the way that society considers normal 8 free agent someone who can do what they want to, and who is not controlled by anyone else  (You're a free agent - you don't owe them anything.) COSTING NOTHING 9 costing nothing  (We were given a free lunch with lots of wine. | The soft drinks are free, but you have to pay for the beer. | a free gift (=something you are given by a shop or company)) 10 a free ride something that you do not have to pay for, because someone else is paying for it  (Government employees are getting a free ride on taxpayers' money.) NOT A PRISONER 11 not a prisoner  (The rapist could be free in as little as three years. | set sb free (=give someone their freedom))  (Mandela was finally set free in 1993. | a free man (=a man who was a prisoner)) NOT BUSY 12 if you are free, or have some free time, you have no work, and nothing else that you must do  (Are you free next weekend? | a free day/morning/half-hour etc)  (If you have a free afternoon, go and see this movie. | free time)  (I don't have enough free time during the week.) NOT BEING USED 13 something that you want to use is free if no one else is using it  (There's a washing machine free, but you may have to wait for a dryer.) WITHOUT/NOT HAVE 14 tax-free/duty-free etc without tax etc  (duty-free wine) 15 lead-free/salt-free etc not containing lead, salt etc  (lead-free petrol) 16 free from/of sth without something that you do not want to have  (free of obligations | free from disease) 17 free of sth/sb away from something or someone you are glad to be without  (I'm free of that place at last.) NOT FIXED/ABLE TO MOVE 18 an action or movement that is free is graceful and not restricted  (a free swing of the arm) 19 loose and not fixed to anything  (The free end of the flag has been torn by the wind.) 20 free hand/arm/leg etc the arm, leg etc that you are not already using  (With her free hand, she clung to the rope.) 21 technical not combined with any other simple chemical substance; pure  (free oxygen) »OTHER MEANINGS« 22 old-fashioned too friendly, in a way that does not show enough respect  (Your son's manner is rather free.) 23 be free with to be generous with something  (Mr. Leath is free with his money. | free with criticism) 24 make free with to use something that belongs to someone else when you should not  (I wonder if he knows that Jenny is making free with his money?) 25 a translation that is free gives a general idea of a piece of writing rather than exactly translating every word ~2 v 1 to allow someone to leave prison or somewhere they have been kept by force; release1 (1)  (Lincoln freed the slaves. | persuading the terrorists to free the hostages) 2 to move or loosen something or someone that is fixed or trapped  (After three hours the firemen freed her from the wreckage.) 3 also free up to make something available so that it can be used  (This would free resources that are badly needed.) 4 to help someone by removing something unpleasant + from  (They aim to free the country from its enormous debts.) 5 to make someone no longer be restricted by unfair rules, a cruel government etc + from  (marching to free the capital city from the rebels) 6 to help someone to do something, by removing restrictions or making them responsible for fewer things  (free sb to do sth)  (freeing teachers to concentrate on particular subjects | free sth)  (Writing frees the imagination.) ~3 adv 1 without payment  (This card allows you to travel free for a month. | for free)  (They let me have these chillies for free. | free of charge)  (You may park here free of charge after 6 p.m.) 2 not fixed or held in a particular place or position  (The window had swung free in the wind. | pull/struggle free (=move to get away from somewhere))  (Ken grabbed her around the waist, but she managed to struggle free.) 3 break free to escape from a place or a situation  (At last he's broken free and started a new life in New York.) 4 run free if an animal runs free it is allowed to go where it wants to, without being controlled  (a zoo where the animals can run free) 5 walk free if a criminal walks free, they are not put in prison 6 I'll tell you that for free spoken used to emphasize what you are saying, in an angry way  (I'm not going to offer to help you out again, I'll tell you that for free!)  (- compare freely, - see also scot­free)