fri: adj., adv., & v. --adj. (freer; freest) 1
not in
bondage to or
under the control of
another; having
personal rights
and social and
political liberty. 2 (of a
State, or
its citizens or institutions)
subject neither to
foreign domination nor to despotic
government; having
national and
civil liberty (a free press; a free society). 3 a
unrestricted,
unimpeded; not restrained or fixed. b at liberty; not confined or imprisoned. c released
from ties or duties; unimpeded. d
unrestrained as to
action;
independent (set free). 4 (foll. by
of, from) a not subject
to;
exempt from (free of tax). b not containing or subject to a specified (usu. undesirable)
thing (free of preservatives; free from disease). 5 (foll. by to + infin.)
able or permitted to
take a specified action (you are free to choose). 6
unconstrained (free gestures). 7 a
available without charge; costing
nothing. b not subject to
tax,
duty, trade-restraint, or fees. 8 a
clear of engagements or obligations (are
you free tomorrow?). b not occupied or in
use (the
bathroom is free now). c clear of obstructions. 9
spontaneous,
unforced (free compliments). 10
open to
all comers. 11
lavish,
profuse; using or used without
restraint (very free
with their money). 12
frank,
unreserved. 13 (of a
literary style) not observing the
strict laws of
form. 14 (of a translation) conveying the
broad sense; not
literal. 15
forward,
familiar,
impudent. 16 (of
talk, stories, etc.) slightly
indecent. 17
Physics a not modified by an
external force. b not bound in an
atom or
molecule. 18 Chem. not combined (free oxygen). 19 (of
power or energy) disengaged or available. --adv. 1 in a free
manner. 2 without
cost or
payment. 3 Naut. not close-hauled. --v.tr. 1
make free; set at liberty. 2 (foll. by of, from)
relieve from (something undesirable). 3
disengage,
disentangle. øfree
agent a
person with
freedom of action. free and
easy informal,
unceremonious. free
association Psychol. a
method of investigating a person's
unconscious by eliciting from
him or
her spontaneous associations with ideas proposed by the examiner. free-born inheriting a citizen's rights and liberty. Free
Church a Church dissenting or seceding from an established Church. free
enterprise a
system in
which private business operates in
competition and
largely free of State control. free
fall movement under the force of
gravity only, esp.: 1 the
part of a
parachute descent before the parachute opens. 2 the movement of a
spacecraft in
space without
thrust from the engines. free
fight a
general fight in which all present
join. free-for-all a free fight, unrestricted
discussion, etc. free-form (attrib.) of an
irregular shape or
structure. free
hand freedom to
act at one's
own discretion (see
also FREEHAND). free-handed
generous. free-handedly generously. free-handedness generosity. free
house Brit. an
inn or
public house not controlled by a
brewery and
therefore not restricted to selling
particular brands of
beer or
liquor. free kick
Football a set kick allowed to be taken by
one side without
interference from the
other. free
labour the labour of workmen not in a
trade union. free-living 1
indulgence in pleasures,
esp.
that of
eating. 2 Biol.
living freely and independently; not attached to a
substrate. free
love sexual relations
according to
choice and unrestricted by
marriage. free
market a market in which prices are
determined by unrestricted competition. free on
board (or rail) without charge
for delivery to a
ship or
railway wagon. free pass an authorization of free
admission,
travel, etc. free
port 1 a port
area where goods in
transit are exempt from customs duty. 2 a port open to all traders. free
radical Chem. an
unchanged atom or
group of atoms with one or
more unpaired electrons. free-range esp. Brit. (of hens etc.)
kept in
natural conditions with freedom of movement. free
rein see REIN. free school 1 a school for which no fees are charged. 2 a school
run on the
basis of freedom from
restriction for the pupils. free
speech the
right to express opinions freely. free-spoken
speaking candidly; not concealing one's opinions. free-standing not supported by another structure. free trade
international trade left to its natural
course without restriction on imports or exports. free
verse = VERS LIBRE. free
vote a
Parliamentary vote not subject to party
discipline. free
wheel the driving wheel of a
bicycle, able to
revolve with the pedals at rest. free-wheel v.intr. 1
ride a bicycle with the pedals at rest, esp.
downhill. 2
move or act without
constraint or
effort. free will 1 the power of
acting without the constraint of
necessity or
fate. 2 the
ability to act at one's own discretion (I
did it of my own free will). free
world esp. US the
non-Communist countries. øøfreely adv. freeness n. [OE freo,
freon f. Gmc]