free-ranging
adjective
free-rang·ing
ˈfrē-ˈrān-jiŋ 
1
: moving or able to move or range freely over a wide area without restriction
free-ranging animals
I began roaming the streets to observe how free-ranging cats—feral cats and strays, as well as house cats allowed to wander freely—make a living in a city.—
James E. Childs
James E. Childs2
: not limited or narrow in scope or extent : wide-ranging
a free-ranging discussion
Mr. Enright is comparatively free-ranging and various in writing about what engages him; his subjects range from professors of literature to computers to "correctness" to aging and, above all, to words.—William H. Pritchard
William H. PritchardExamples of free-ranging in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Electrocution injuries are mostly seen in large free-ranging raptors, according to the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Spanning 71,000 acres, Custer State Park has plenty of room to share with its free-ranging bison herd and wildlife like elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.
—
Dave Parfitt,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
The ranch is home to one of the largest free-ranging wolf packs in North America.
—
Todd Wilkinson,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Feed Britain’s only free-ranging herd of reindeer.
—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 May 2026
The disease has been detected in both free-ranging and captive deer, elk and moose populations.
—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
But if a free-ranging bison were to enter the state naturally, it would be considered a wild animal and managed as a big-game species by CPW — one that could not be killed without a proper license.
—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
8 Jan. 2026
Before long, America’s free-ranging pig population was booming.
—
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
While the disease is not common in Ohio, it has been found in free-ranging populations in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as many western states and Canada.
—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
The Enquirer,
19 Aug. 2025
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Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
26 June 2026
Spanning 71,000 acres, Custer State Park has plenty of room to share with its free-ranging bison herd and wildlife like elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.
—
Dave Parfitt,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
The ranch is home to one of the largest free-ranging wolf packs in North America.
—
Todd Wilkinson,
Denver Post,
27 May 2026
Feed Britain’s only free-ranging herd of reindeer.
—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 May 2026
The disease has been detected in both free-ranging and captive deer, elk and moose populations.
—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
But if a free-ranging bison were to enter the state naturally, it would be considered a wild animal and managed as a big-game species by CPW — one that could not be killed without a proper license.
—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
8 Jan. 2026
Before long, America’s free-ranging pig population was booming.
—
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
While the disease is not common in Ohio, it has been found in free-ranging populations in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as many western states and Canada.
—
Gillian Stawiszynski,
The Enquirer,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Free-ranging.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free-ranging. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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