A democrat is a free citizen who yields to the will of the majority.
Source: tatoeba (1774)
Free
/fɹiː/
Synonyms for "free" (637 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (128)
Adjective(11 words)
Verb(11 words)
abandonedableaboveabsoluteabsolveaccessibleacquitadriftaffranchiseafloatafoot and lightheartedallayallowedamnestyapproachablearbitraryartlessas a giftas our guestat large
Show 80 more words
at leisureat libertyat loose endsat willaudaciousautarchicautarkicautonomousavailablebail outbaldbarebigheartedbluffbluntbounteousbountifulbreak loosebreak outbroadbrusquecandidcast offcasualcharitablecleansecleanse awayclearclear ofclearedcommunicativecomplimentaryconversablecostlesscut loosedebaucheddecontaminatedeliverdelivereddemocraticdemonstrativedeobstructdeserteddestigmatizedetachdetacheddiffusedirectdisabusedisburdendischargedisclosediscloseddiscretionaldiscretionarydisembarrassdisembroildisencumberdisengagedisengageddisentangledisenthralldisinvolvedisjoindislodgedismissdispense fromdispense withdispersedissipateddissolutedoffdownrighteaseease offeasyeasygoingeffusiveelectiveeleemosynary
Noun(6 words)
Strong matches (191)
emancipateemancipatedemptyenfranchiseenfranchisedescapedexceptexculpateexcuseexemplifyexemptexempt fromexonerateexpansiveexpenselessexplicitexposeexposedextraextract
Show 129 more words
extremityextricateextricatedextrovertedfairfallowfamiliarfastfledfloatingflownfootloosefootloose and fancy-freefor freefor lovefor nothingfor the askingforgiveforsakenforthcomingforthrightfrankfrankheartedfree and easyfree as airfree for nothingfree fromfree gratisfree offree of chargefree of costfree spokenfree upfree willfree-bornfree-speakingfree-spokenfree-tonguedfreebiefreebornfreedfreehandedfreeheartedfreelyfugitivefurloughgallantgaygenerousgenuineget outgiftlikegive absolutiongive dispensation fromgive releasegive respitegivengivinggodforsakengossipygraciousgrant amnesty togrant immunitygrant remissiongratisgratuitousgratuitouslygreatheartedhandsomeheart-to-hearthonesthospitablehouseidlein the clearindependentindividualisticinformalingenuousintermitjoblessjustifylargelargeheartedlavishleisureleisuredlet golet looselet offlet outlet upliberalliberateliberatedlibertylicentiouslightheartedlooselooselyloosenlumpenmagnanimousmanifestmanumitmunificentnakednaturalnewsynonmandatorynonprosoffoff dutyoff workofferedon oneon paroleon the houseon the looseopenopen-handedopenhandedopenheartedopenlyoptionalotioseoutout ofout of employ
Adjective(19 words)
emancipateemptyexcuseexemptgratuitousindependentindependent entityindependent nationindependent stateinnocentliberalliberateloosenew feature releaseno chargeno costno-chargenontradingopen access system
Verb(15 words)
Noun(7 words)
Adverb(1 words)
Related words (318)
out of harnessout of workoutgoingoutrightoutspokenpardonparolepatefypermittedplainplain spokenplain-spokenprincelyprofferedprofligateprofusepublicpurgepurge awayquash the charge
Show 227 more words
quitquit ofrakehellrakehellishrakehellyrakishransomrecoverredeemredeemedrelaxrelaxedreleasereleasedrelieveremiseremitremovereprieverescuerescuedretiredretrieverevealricketyridrid ofroundrunawaysalvagesavesave the necessityscatterscot freescot-freeself-actingself-activeself-determinedself-determiningself-directingself-governedself-governingself-revealingself-revelatorysemiretiredseparateset at largeset at libertyset freeshakyshed ofshriveshut ofsinceresingleslackslack offslackensmoothsociablesovereignsparespontaneousspringsprungstintlessstraightstraight outstraight-outstraightforwardsuspendtake offtalkativetear loosetenantlessto his heirstransparentunanchoredunaskedunattachedunbarunbesoughtunbiddenunbindunblockunboltunboughtunboundunbridledunbuckleunburdenunbuttonuncageuncalled foruncalled-foruncaseunceremoniousunchainunchaineduncheckedunclaspunclenchuncloguncloggedunclosedunclutchunclutteruncoerceduncommitteduncompelledunconditionalunconditionedunconfinedunconstraineduncontrolleduncorkuncoveruncovereduncurtainundoundoneundrapeunemployableunemployedunencumberedunengagedunenslavedunequivocalunfastenunfastenedunfetterunfetteredunfilledunfixedunfoldunforcedunfoulunglueungrudgingunguardedunhamperedunhiddenunhinderedunimpededuninfluenceduninhabiteduninhibiteduninviteduninvolvedunknotunlaceunlatchunleashunlockunlooseunloosenunmannedunmarriedunobstructedunoccupiedunpaid-forunpeopledunplugunpopulatedunpressuredunpromptedunravelunrepressedunrequestedunrequiredunreservedunreservedlyunrestrainedunrestrictedunreticentunrollunscrambleunsealunsecretiveunselfishunshackleunshackledunsheatheunshrinkingunshutunsilentunsnarlunsolicitedunsoughtunsparingunstaffedunstickunstintedunstintingunstopunstoppedunstrapunstuckunsuppresseduntakenuntangleuntaxeduntenanteduntendeduntieuntiedunusedunveilunwrapvacantvindicatevocalvoluntaryvolunteerweigh anchorwell out ofwhitewashwide openwide-openwildwillfulwith abandonwithdraw the chargewithoutwithout chargewithout restraintwithout stint
Noun(13 words)
p wave energy releasedportuguese liberarpublic accessrelease chemical energyreleasesreleasingrubatounbindingunclaspinguncontrolunfetteringunhandingzero price
Adjective(32 words)
personal freedomreleasablereleaserelievesovereign authorityspareunallocatedunblockunburdenedunconstrainedunfetterunobligatedunoccupiedunoccupied regionunregulated supplyunreserveunreserved spotunrestrained movementunrestrictedunrestricted assemblies
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: complimentary, costless, gratis, liberate, release.
- Sentence evidence is available for free, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "free".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "free"
Keep "free" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "free" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "free", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "free" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
36 entriesShowing 16 of 36 words.
More specific
14 entriesclearanceemancipationempty seatexcusalfree choicefree reinfreelygratisliberallyno chargeparoleunblockingunoccupied deskwaiver
Collocations
14 entriesfree from chargesfree from confinementfree lunchfree resourcesfree ridefree spacefree textbooksfree the captivefree timefree to choosefree trialfree up fundsfree willfreebie
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
4 entriessimilar
33 entriesShowing 16 of 33 words.
Translations
94 translations across 63 languages.
Albanian
2 entries- falas adj (unconstrained)
- pafre adj (unconstrained)
Amharic
1 entries- ነፃ adj (unconstrained)
Arabic
2 entries- حر adj (unconstrained)
- حُرّ adj (unconstrained)
Armenian
1 entries- ազատ adj (unconstrained)
Assamese
1 entries- মুকলি adj (unconstrained)
Asturian
1 entries- llibre adj (unconstrained)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- sərbəst adj (unconstrained)
Bambara
1 entries- hɔrɔn adj (unconstrained)
Bashkir
1 entries- иркен adj (unconstrained)
Catalan
1 entries- lliure adj (unconstrained)
Central Kurdish
1 entries- سەربەست adj (unconstrained)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 自由的 adj (unconstrained)
Czech
2 entries- volný adj (unconstrained)
- volný adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
Danish
1 entries- fri adj (unconstrained)
Dutch
3 entries- los adj (unconstrained)
- loslopend adj (unconstrained)
- vrij adj (unconstrained)
Esperanto
1 entries- libera adj (unconstrained)
Estonian
2 entries- prii adj (unconstrained)
- vaba adj (unconstrained)
Finnish
3 entries- rajoittamaton adj (unconstrained)
- vapaa adj (unconstrained)
- vapaa adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
French
2 entries- libre adj (unconstrained)
- libre adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
Galician
1 entries- libre adj (unconstrained)
German
4 entries- frank und frei adj (unconstrained)
- frei adj (unconstrained)
- freimütig adj (unconstrained)
- ungezwungen adj (unconstrained)
Gothic
1 entries- 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 adj (unconstrained)
Greek
2 entries- ανεμπόδιστος adj (unconstrained)
- ελεύθερος adj (unconstrained)
Hebrew
1 entries- פָּנוּי adj (unconstrained)
Hindi
3 entries- आज़ाद adj (unconstrained)
- मुक्त adj (unconstrained)
- स्वतंत्र adj (unconstrained)
Hungarian
1 entries- szabad adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
Ido
1 entries- libera adj (unconstrained)
Interlingua
2 entries- franc adj (unconstrained)
- libere adj (unconstrained)
Irish
3 entries- saor adj (unconstrained)
- scaoilte adj (unconstrained)
- éasca adj (unconstrained)
Italian
2 entries- brado adj (unconstrained)
- libero adj (unconstrained)
Japanese
1 entries- 自由 adj (unconstrained)
Khmer
1 entries- ស្រស់ស្រាយ adj (unconstrained)
Korean
1 entries- 자유적(自由的)이다 adj (unconstrained)
Latin
1 entries- līber adj (unconstrained)
Latvian
1 entries- brīvs adj (unconstrained)
Limburgish
1 entries- vrie adj (unconstrained)
Lindu
1 entries- naloa adj (unconstrained)
Low German
1 entries- free adj (unconstrained)
Lower Sorbian
1 entries- lichy adj (unconstrained)
Macedonian
1 entries- слободен adj (unconstrained)
Malay
1 entries- merdeka adj (unconstrained)
Malayalam
1 entries- സ്വതന്ത്രം adj (unconstrained)
Māori
1 entries- māhorahora adj (unconstrained)
Norman
1 entries- libre adj (unconstrained)
Northern Kurdish
2 entries- aza adj (unconstrained)
- berdayî adj (unconstrained)
Norwegian
3 entries- fri adj (unconstrained)
- fri adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
- løs adj (unconstrained)
Old English
1 entries- unċīepe adj (unconstrained)
Old Irish
1 entries- sóer adj (unconstrained)
Persian
1 entries- آزاد adj (unconstrained)
Polish
3 entries- swobodny adj (unconstrained)
- wolny adj (unconstrained)
- wolny adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
Portuguese
2 entries- livre adj (unconstrained)
- livre adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
Romanian
4 entries- liber adj (unconstrained)
- liber adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
- nelegat adj (mathematics: unconstrained)
- neîmpiedicat adj (unconstrained)
Russian
1 entries- свобо́дный adj (unconstrained)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- saor adj (unconstrained)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- neograničen adj (unconstrained)
- povoljno adj (unconstrained)
- slobodan adj (unconstrained)
- voljno adj (unconstrained)
Sindhi
1 entries- چٽل adj (unconstrained)
Spanish
1 entries- libre adj (unconstrained)
Swedish
1 entries- fri adj (unconstrained)
Turkish
1 entries- serbest adj (unconstrained)
Vietnamese
1 entries- tự do adj (unconstrained)
Welsh
1 entries- rhydd adj (unconstrained)
Yiddish
1 entries- פֿרײַ adj (unconstrained)
Zazaki
1 entries- serbest adj (unconstrained)
Sample sentences
50 total sentences available.
He was a benevolent old man who volunteered to mow his neighbors' lawns for free.
Source: tatoeba (1998)
I feel that I am free.
Source: tatoeba (2158)
Freedom is not free.
Source: tatoeba (2159)
Showing 4 of 50 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "free"?
Closest matches include complimentary, costless, gratis, liberate, release.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "free"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.