free

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /friː/ UK /fɹiː/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like three /θ/ vs /f/ Sounds like flee /l/ vs /r/

Freq #496

Meanings

1

adj
Costing no money.

The museum offers free entry on Sundays.
2

adj
Able to do what you want, without being controlled or restricted.

He was given free rein to do whatever he wanted.
3

adj
Not being used or occupied; available.

Is this seat free?
4

verb
To set someone or something free; to release.

The prisoners were finally freed after ten years.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · able to do what you want,... unconstrained unfettered unhindered

3 adj · not being used or occupied;... spare vacant

4 verb · to set someone or something... release liberate

More befreeemancipate manumit unchainunfetterunshackle

Opposites

unfree

Word family

Forms freedfreeingfreerfreesfreest

Derived forms befreefree-bleedingfree-blownfree-boobfree-climbfree-climbingfree-coolingfree-diverfree-divingfree-fallfree-feedfree-fire

Related forms friend

Appears in

Phrases (9)

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free pass
a ticket or permit obtained at no charge

Adjective + noun
free trial
a period during which a product or service may be used at no cost

Adjective + noun
free agent
a person or player who is not under contract and can negotiate independently

Adjective + noun
free association
a process in which one thought or image leads spontaneously to another

Adjective + noun
free enterprise
an economic system in which private businesses operate mainly through market competition

Adjective + noun
free lunch
a midday meal provided without payment

Adjective + noun

Idioms (2)

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Proverbs (12)

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Simplified etymology

Free is recorded in Old English, including in the writings of King Alfred, and comes from an ancient root meaning “to love.” Friend comes from the same root.

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. 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, Norwegia…

*preyH- Proto-Indo-European free Middle English frēo Old English *frī Proto-West Germanic *frijaz Proto-Germanic *priHós Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# free

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** /friː/
**IPA (UK):** /fɹiː/
**Frequency rank:** 496

## Meanings
1. Costing no money.
2. Able to do what you want, without being controlled or restricted.
3. Not being used or occupied; available.
4. To set someone or something free; to release.

## Examples
- The museum offers free entry on Sundays.
- He was given free rein to do whatever he wanted.
- Is this seat free?
- The prisoners were finally freed after ten years.

## Synonyms
- befree
- emancipate
- liberate
- manumit
- release
- unchain
- unfetter
- unshackle

## Antonyms
- unfree

## Derived Forms
- befree
- free-bleeding
- free-blown
- free-boob
- free-climb
- free-climbing
- free-cooling
- free-diver
- free-diving
- free-fall
- free-feed
- free-fire

## Related Forms
- friend

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *preyH-
- Root: free
- Root: frēo
- Root: *frī
- Root: *frijaz
- Root: *priHós

## 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. 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, Norwegia…

## AI Etymology
Free comes 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. In current use, the main senses are “Costing no money” and “Able to do what you want, without being controlled or restricted”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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free

Meanings

Verb forms

Thesaurus

Appears in

Phrases (9)

Idioms (2)

Proverbs (12)

Simplified etymology

Etymology

Topics

External links

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