freedman

noun

freed·​man ˈfrēd-mən How to pronounce freedman (audio)
-ˌman
Synonyms of freedmannext
: a person freed from slavery

Examples of freedman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The passage of the Reconstruction amendments to the U.S. Constitution—the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments, ratified between 1865 and 1870—granted freedmen legal rights and inspired the formation of municipalities by African Americans. Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Apr. 2026 The law was not intended to be enforced against whites but had the clear intent to restrict the civil rights of freedmen. Morgan Marietta, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026 Or that namesake Robert Brent was pro-slavery and helped enact the Black Codes — laws banning Black people from being on the street after 10 p.m. in the city and requiring freedmen to carry their papers at all times. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2026 National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author Xiaolu Guo recasts Ishmael as a 17-year-old girl disguised as a cabin boy and Ahab as a Black freedman named Seneca, haunted by his father’s legacy of enslavement. Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 6 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for freedman

Word History

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of freedman was in 1587

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Cite this Entry

“Freedman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freedman. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

freedman

noun
freed·​man ˈfrēd-mən How to pronounce freedman (audio)
-ˌman
: a person freed from slavery

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