free

English Online Dictionary. What means free‎? What does free mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English free, fre, freo, from Old English frēo (“free”), from Proto-West Germanic *frī, from Proto-Germanic *frijaz (“beloved, not in bondage”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“pleased, loved”), from *preyH- (“to please, love”). Related to friend.

The verb comes from Middle English freen, freoȝen, from Old English frēon, frēoġan (“to free; make free”), from Proto-West Germanic *frijōn, from Proto-Germanic *frijōną, from Proto-Indo-European *preyH-, and is cognate with German freien, Dutch vrijen, Czech přát, Serbo-Croatian prijati, Polish sprzyjać.

Pronunciation

• enPR: frē, IPA^(key): /fɹiː/, [fɹɪi̯]
• Rhymes: -iː
• Homophone: three (th-fronting)

Adjective

free (comparative freer or more free, superlative freest or most free)

2. (social) Unconstrained.

   Synonyms: unconstrained, unfettered, unhindered

   Antonyms: constrained, restricted

   2. Not imprisoned or enslaved.

      Antonyms: bound, enslaved, imprisoned

   4. Generous; liberal.

   6. (obsolete) Clear of offence or crime; guiltless; innocent.
   8. Without obligations.

   10. To be enjoyed by anyone freely.
   12. (of a government, country) Upholding individual rights.

       Synonym: nonauthoritarian

       Antonyms: unfree, authoritarian

   14. (software) With no or only freedom-preserving limitations on distribution or modification.

       Synonyms: libre, free as in speech, free as in freedom

       Antonyms: proprietary, nonfree

       Coordinate terms: gratis, free as in beer

   16. (software) Intended for release, as opposed to a checked version.
4. Obtainable without any payment.

   Synonyms: free of charge, gratis, costless, feeless; free as in beer

   Antonym: see at nonfree

   Coordinate terms: libre, free as in speech, free as in freedom

   2. (by extension, chiefly used in advertising) Complimentary.

6. (abstract) Unconstrained.
   2. (algebra, of an algebraic structure) In any of various technical senses generic, universal.
      1. (most generally, category theory, of an object ${displaystyle F}$ in a concrete category, with respect to a set ${displaystyle X}$ and a map ${displaystyle i}$ from ${displaystyle X}$ to the underlying set of ${displaystyle F}$) Such that any map ${displaystyle f}$ from ${displaystyle X}$ to the underlying set of an object ${displaystyle A}$ in the same category as ${displaystyle F}$ induces a map ${displaystyle {bar }}$ from ${displaystyle F}$ to ${displaystyle A}$ which is compatible with ${displaystyle f}$ (i.e. such that ${displaystyle f={bar }\circ i}$).
      2. (group theory, of a group) Having a set of generators which satisfy no non-trivial relations; equivalently, being the group of reduced words on a set of generators.

      3. (commutative algebra, of a module) Having a linearly independent set of generators (called a basis).
   3. (logic, of a variable) Unconstrained by quantifiers.

      Antonym: bound

   4. (programming) Unconstrained of identifiers, not bound.

      Synonym: unbound

      Antonym: bound

   6. (linguistics) (of a morpheme) That can be used by itself, unattached to another morpheme.
8. (physical) Unconstrained.
   2. Unobstructed, without blockages.

      Synonyms: clear, unobstructed

      Antonyms: blocked, obstructed

   4. Unattached or uncombined.

      Synonyms: loose, unfastened; see also Thesaurus:loose

   6. Not currently in use; not taken; unoccupied.

   8. (botany, mycology) Not attached; loose.
   10. (military) Of a rocket or missile: not under the control of a guidance system after being launched.
10. Without; not containing (what is specified); exempt; clear; liberated.

    Synonym: without
11. (dated) Ready; eager; acting without spurring or whipping; spirited.

12. (dated) Invested with a particular freedom or franchise; enjoying certain immunities or privileges; admitted to special rights; followed by of.
13. (UK, law, obsolete) Certain or honourable; the opposite of base.

15. (law) Privileged or individual; proprietary.

    Antonyms: common, nonproprietary

Usage notes

• The comparatives free-er and freeër and superlatives free-est and freeëst are also attested but rare.

Antonyms

• unfree

Hyponyms

• -free

Derived terms

Related terms

• friend

Translations

Adverb

free (comparative more free, superlative most free)

1. Without needing to pay.

   Synonyms: for free, for nothing, gratis
2. (obsolete) Freely; willingly.

Translations

Verb

free (third-person singular simple present frees, present participle freeing, simple past and past participle freed)

1. (transitive) To make free; set at liberty; release.
2. (transitive) To rid of something that confines or oppresses. [with from]
3. (transitive, programming) To relinquish (previously allocated memory) to the system.

Synonyms

• befree
• emancipate
• let loose
• liberate
• manumit
• release
• unchain
• unfetter
• unshackle

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

free (plural frees)

1. (Australian rules football, Gaelic football) Abbreviation of free kick.
   • 2006, [1]:

     Whether deserved or not, the free gave Cresswell the chance to cover himself in glory with a shot on goal after the siren.

2. (soccer) A free transfer.
3. (hurling) The usual means of restarting play after a foul is committed, where the non-offending team restarts from where the foul was committed.
4. (swimming, informal) Abbreviation of freestyle.

Translations

References

• “free”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• feer, fere, reef

Galician

Verb

free

1. inflection of frear:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Low German

Alternative forms

• frie (more common)

Etymology

From Middle Low German vrîe, variant of vrî, from Old Saxon frī, from Proto-Germanic *frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“beloved”). Compare Dutch vrij, West Frisian frij, English free, German frei.

Adjective

free (comparative fre'er, superlative freest)

1. (rather rare) free

Declension

Derived terms

• Freeheit