Freedom Meaning

/ˈfɹiːdəm/
B1

Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Listen pronunciation

nounThe state of being free.

nounThe lack of a specific constraint, or of constraints in general; a state of being free, unconstrained.

You wanted to tell me about freedom?
People in the world are always advocating for more freedom and equality.
Freedom of information brings great benefits.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The activists fought for ____ of speech and assembly in their country.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The protesters marched through the streets to demand greater ____ of speech and more political rights.

From Middle English fredom, freedom, from Old English frēodōm (“freedom, state of free-will, charter, emancipation, deliverance”), from Proto-West Germanic *frijadōm (“freedom”). Equivalent to free + -dom. Cognate with North Frisian fridoem (“freedom”), Dutch vrijdom (“freedom”), Low German frīdom (“freedom”), Middle High German vrītuom (“freedom”), Norwegian fridom (“freedom”).

"Well Russia at the present time is at a crossroads. It is often said that the Cold War is over and that the West has won it- that's only half true. Because what has happened is that the communists have been defeated, but the ideas of freedom now are on trial. If they don't work, there will be a reversion to, not communism which has failed, but what I call a new despotism which would pose a mortal danger to the rest of the world because it would be infected with the virus of Russian imperialism which of course has been a characteristic of Russian foreign policy for centuries." — 1992 March 30, Richard Nixon, 13:46 from the start, in Richard Nixon on ‘Inside Washington’, Richard Nixon Foundation, via Seoul Broadcasting System, archived from the original on 09 Oct 2017:
"However, the next generation of innovators to benefit from this freedom – Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple et al – saw no reason to extend it to anyone else." — 2024 May 4, John Naughton, “The internet is in decline – it needs rewilding”, in The Guardian:
"The spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe- a desolate, dry planet with vast deserts. Hidden away within the rocks of these deserts are a people known as the Fremen, who have long held a prophecy, that a man would come, a messiah, who would lead them to true freedom. The planet is Arrakis, also known as Dune." — 1984, 1:50 from the start, in Dune (Science Fiction), spoken by Princess Irulan, →OCLC:
"China's experience reminded me of the French and Russian revolutions. The pattern was the same: People seized control by promising to promote certain ideals. Once they had consolidated power, they abused it, casting aside their beliefs and brutalizing their fellow citizens. It was as if mankind had a sickness that it kept inflicting on itself. The sobering thought deepened my conviction that freedom— economic, political, and religious — is the only fair and productive way of governing a society." — 2010, George W. Bush, Decision Points, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 23:
"The dispatches […] also exposed the blatant discrepancy between the west's professed values and actual foreign policies. Having lectured the Arab world about democracy for years, its collusion in suppressing freedom was undeniable as protesters were met by weaponry and tear gas made in the west, employed by a military trained by westerners." — 2013 June 7, Gary Younge, “Hypocrisy lies at heart of Manning prosecution”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 18:

Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words

CEFR Practice Quiz
The activists fought for ____ of speech and assembly in their country.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The protesters marched through the streets to demand greater ____ of speech and more political rights.

Expand Your Vocabulary with LexUp

Master English words using smart flashcards, play exciting word rounds, and compete with other learners worldwide.

Browse CEFR Words Alphabetically