Word: free Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *preyH- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *priHós Proto-Germanic *frijwaz Proto-West Germanic *friu Old English frēo Middle English fre English free From Middle English fre, from Old English frēo, frēoh, frī, friġ, frīoh (“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; to love”). Related to friend. cognates, etc Germanic cognates include Scots fre (“free”), North Frisian frai, frei, fri, Frii (“free”), Saterland Frisian fräi (“free”), West Frisian frij (“free”), Dutch vrij (“free”), German frei (“free”), Low German free (“free”), Luxembourgish fräi (“free”), Vilamovian frȧj (“free”), Yiddish פֿרײַ (fray, “free”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fri (“free”), Faroese fríur (“free”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (freis, “free”). Other cognates include Cornish rydh (“free”), Welsh rhydd (“free”), Latin propriō (“to appropriate”), Czech přát (“to wish; to favour”), Polish sprzyjać (“to favour, foster”), Serbo-Croatian прѝјати, prìjati (“to please, taste, suit; to be agreeable, relish”), Slovak priať (“to wish”), Avestan 𐬟𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 (friia, “good, pleasant”), Persian فری (fari, “beloved, dear; agreeable, pleasing”), Sanskrit प्रिय (priya, “beloved”). Germanic and Celtic are the only Indo-European language branches in which the PIE word with the meaning of "dear, beloved" acquired the additional meaning of "free" in the sense of "not in bondage". This was an extension of the idea of "characteristic of those who are dear and beloved", in other words friends and tribe members (in contrast to unfree inhabitants from other tribes and prisoners of war, many of which were among the slaves – compare the Latin use of liberi to mean both "free persons" and "children of a family"). Pronunciation: /fɹiː/, [fɹɪi̯], /fɹɪj/, /fɹi/ 1. Unconstrained. Example: He was given free rein to do whatever he wanted. Example: Quickly, spirit! / Thou shalt ere long be free. 2. Unconstrained. Example: Free Blacks Example: a free man 3. Unconstrained. Example: He's very free with his money. 4. Unconstrained. Labels: obsolete Example: My hands are guilty, but my heart is free. 5. Unconstrained. Example: free time 6. Unconstrained. Example: a free school Example: Why, sir, I pray, are not the streets as free / For me as for you? 7. Unconstrained. Example: the Free World Example: This is a free country. 8. Unconstrained. Example: OpenOffice is free software. 9. Unconstrained. 10. Obtainable without any payment. Example: The government provides free health care. Example: It's free real estate. 11. Obtainable without any payment. Labels: broadly Example: Buy a TV to get a free DVD player! 12. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract 13. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract 14. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract Example: The fundamental group of the figure eight is free of rank 2. 15. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract 16. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract Example: z is the free variable in #92;forallx#92;existsy#58;xy#61;z. 17. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract 18. Unconstrained. Labels: abstract 19. Unconstrained. Labels: physical Example: the drain was free 20. Unconstrained. Labels: physical Example: a free radical 21. Unconstrained. Labels: physical Example: You can sit on this chair; it's free. 22. Unconstrained. Labels: physical Example: In this group of mushrooms, the gills are free. Example: Furthermore, the free anterior margin of the lobule is arched toward the lobe and is often involute[…] 23. Unconstrained. Labels: physical 24. Without; not containing (what is specified); exempt; clear; liberated. Example: We had a wholesome, filling meal, free of meat. I would like to live free from care in the mountains. Example: princes declaring themselves free from the obligations of their treaties 25. Ready; eager; acting without spurring or whipping; spirited. Labels: dated Example: a free horse 26. Invested with a particular freedom or franchise; enjoying certain immunities or privileges; admitted to special rights; followed by of. Labels: dated Example: He therefore makes all birds, of every sect, / Free of his farm. 27. Certain or honourable; the opposite of base. Labels: UK, obsolete Example: free service; free socage 28. Privileged or individual; proprietary. Example: a free fishery; a free warren 29. Having oversteer. Labels: US, slang