Free | Mean of free in English Dictionary

/ˈfriː/

• not costing any money
1. They're giving out free tickets to the show.
2. The school newsletter is free.
3. free advice
4. free drinks/food
5. The tickets are free for the taking. [=anyone who wants one can take one]
6. The store is offering a calculator as a free gift. [=something that is given to people to help get new customers for a business]
• not held as a slave or prisoner
1. After 10 years in jail, he was finally a free man.
2. After 10 years, they finally set him free.
• not physically held by something
1. The animal struggled to get free of/from the trap.
2. His legs became caught in the net, and he was unable to get himself free.

• able to do what you want to do
1. You are free to leave.
2. You're (entirely) free to do whatever you want to do.
3. We were free to choose from among several options.
• not controlled by a harsh ruler or laws
1. He dreamed of a day when his people would be free.
2. a free society
3. I can say whatever I want to say. This is a free country.
• not limited by government control
1. free competition
2. free and democratic elections
3. free speech
• not limited by fear, uncertainty, etc.
1. a free expression of opinions
2. a free exchange of ideas
3. Children are often freer and more imaginative than adults in their writing.
• not limited in any way
1. Your password allows you to have free access to the system.
2. The ships were allowed free passage into and out of the port.
• not having, including, or suffering from something unpleasant, painful, or unwanted
1. free from worry/disease
2. The product is guaranteed to be free of/from major defects.
3. The speech was free of political rhetoric.
4. writing that is free of jargon
5. jargon-free writing
6. sugar-free chewing gum
7. After struggling with her addiction for many years, she is finally drug-free. [=she has finally stopped using drugs]
• not required to be doing something
1. I'm free tomorrow night.
2. We're having a party next Saturday. Are you free?
• not being used for work or other activities
1. Wednesday is her only free afternoon.
2. I wish I had more free time.
3. He spends a lot of his free time [=time when he is not working on his job] tinkering with his car.
• not being used
1. I'm going to call my mother as soon as the phone is free.
2. “Excuse me: is this seat free?” “I'm sorry: it's taken.”
3. There's not enough free space on my computer's hard drive to install the software.
• not holding anything
1. He waved at us with his free hand.
• not attached to anything
1. She held onto the free end of the rope.
• not covered or filled with things
1. We'll need a lot of free floor space for the dancing lesson.
2. The hallway should be kept free of clutter.
• giving, doing, or saying something very often
1. He seems to be very free about giving people his advice. = He seems to be very free with his advice. = [=he seems to give his advice very often, even when it is not wanted]
2. She's very free with her money. = She's a free spender. [=she spends her money freely; she spends a lot of money without worrying about trying to save it]
3. (chiefly Brit) He had a habit of making free with other people's money. [=of using other people's money freely]
• not closely following or matching the original language
1. This is a very free [=loose] translation of the original poem.
• completely free
1. After he left school he felt as free as a bird.
• without charge
1. If you buy two boxes of cereal, you'll get another box for free. [=without paying any more money]
• very informal and relaxed
1. a teacher with a free and easy manner
2. a free and easy atmosphere
• not strict or careful enough
1. They have been too free and easy in accepting political contributions.
• in a free way
1. The gate opened, and the animals ran free.
• without owing any money
1. I've paid off my mortgage and now I own the property free and clear. [=I no longer owe any money for the property]
• Verb
• to cause (someone or something) to be free: such as
• to release (a person or animal) from a prison, cage, etc.
1. The government has agreed to free all political prisoners (from jail).
2. The gunman freed two of the hostages.
3. The animals were freed from their cages.
• to release (someone or something) from being physically held or blocked
1. His legs became tangled in the net, and he was unable to free himself.
2. He was unable to free his legs from the net.
3. The animal struggled to free itself from the trap.
• to cause or allow (someone or something) to stop having or being affected by something unpleasant, painful, or unwanted
1. He has struggled to free himself from debt.
2. The new road will help to free the city of traffic jams.
3. patients trying to free themselves from dependence on drugs
• to make (something) available for use
1. I'll see if I can free (up) some time on my schedule next week so that we can meet.
2. We need to delete more files to free (up) space on the computer's hard drive.
• to give more free time to (someone)
1. Hiring an assistant has freed him to spend more time with his family.
• to remove limits from (someone or something)
1. She encourages her students to free their imaginations.