Definition of freedom Freedom

/fɹiˈdʌm/ - [freedum] - Free•dom

We found 15 definitions of freedom from 6 different sources.

What does freedom mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: freedom
freedom - the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
		state the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state"
		free not literal; "a loose interpretation of what she had been told"; "a free translation of the poem"
		unfree hampered and not free; not able to act at will
		academic freedom the freedom of teachers and students to express their ideas in school without religious or political or institutional restrictions
		enfranchisement freedom from political subjugation or servitude
		free hand, blank check freedom to do as you see fit; "many have doubts about giving him a free hand to attack"
		free rein, play the removal of constraints; "he gave free rein to his impulses"; "they gave full play to the artist's talent"
		freedom of the seas the right of merchant ships to travel freely in international waters
		independency, independence the successful ending of the American Revolution; "they maintained close relations with England even after independence"
		liberty freedom of choice; "liberty of opinion"; "liberty of worship"; "liberty--perfect liberty--to think or feel or do just as one pleases"; "at liberty to choose whatever occupation one wishes"
		political liberty, civil liberty fundamental individual right protected by law and expressed as immunity from unwarranted governmental interference
		liberty freedom of choice; "liberty of opinion"; "liberty of worship"; "liberty--perfect liberty--to think or feel or do just as one pleases"; "at liberty to choose whatever occupation one wishes"
freedom - immunity from an obligation or duty
		exemption
		unsusceptibility, immunity the state of not being susceptible; "unsusceptibility to rust"
		amnesty the formal act of liberating someone
		diplomatic immunity exemption from taxation or normal processes of law that is offered to diplomatic personnel in a foreign country
		indemnity legal exemption from liability for damages
		impunity exemption from punishment or loss

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Wiktionary

freedom (Noun)
The state of being free, of not being imprisoned or enslaved.
freedom (Noun)
The lack of a specific constraint, or of constraints in general; a state of being free, unconstrained.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

freedom (n.)
The state of being free; exemption from the power and control of another; liberty; independence.
freedom (n.)
Privileges; franchises; immunities.
freedom (n.)
Exemption from necessity, in choise and action; as, the freedom of the will.
freedom (n.)
Ease; facility; as, he speaks or acts with freedom.
freedom (n.)
Frankness; openness; unreservedness.
freedom (n.)
Improper familiarity; violation of the rules of decorum; license.
freedom (n.)
Generosity; liberality.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

freedom
Quality or state of being free, especially to enjoy political and civil liberties.\n(Source: CED)
freedom
The condition of being free to act, believe or express oneself as one chooses.

Wikipedia

Freedom, for people, means not being owned or controlled by anyone else. The best way to describe it is as the opposite of "slavery".

Special cases.

Freedom does not always mean that people do as they want. There are many things that may not let people do that. So freedom is a very political and philosophical idea.

A difficult problem is that sometimes people make bad choices. They may make choices which stop them doing things they want to do later. If they had not been free to make the bad choice, they "would" have be able to do the things they wanted later. So, some people think that it is sometimes OK to control someone else, if it helps that person do things they want in the end.

For example, it is okay to say that a child who wants to get a good job must go to school, because when the child grows up, they will be able to get that job. Or, if a person has decided they do not want to drink alcohol and drive, it is okay to stop them driving if they drink. Because of this, some philosophers (like Isaiah Berlin) think there are two kinds of freedom. They say that not being owned or controlled by anyone else is called "negative freedom" or "freedom from". They believe that there is another kind of freedom called "positive freedom", or "freedom to". Positive freedom is the ability to do all of the things that you can and want to do.

Some people also say that we should stop a person driving if they drink because they might get hurt - even if the person "did" want to drink and dr