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as in latitude
the right to act or move freely as special guests of the owners, the youngsters had full freedom of the resort and its private beach

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word freedom different from other nouns like it?

The words liberty and license are common synonyms of freedom. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When could liberty be used to replace freedom?

In some situations, the words liberty and freedom are roughly equivalent. However, liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

In what contexts can license take the place of freedom?

While in some cases nearly identical to freedom, license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of freedom In pleasure, this retrograde revealed how emotional safety and erotic freedom were deeply connected, possibly inviting a softer, more intentional relationship with personal needs. Colin Bedell, Them, 28 Feb. 2025 After just 18 minutes of fighting, Texas had won its freedom. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2025 Schools would be given more freedom in their ability to offer organic or non-organic options while also looking at the nutritional value of milk. Ashley J. Dimella Fox News, Fox News, 27 Feb. 2025 Ahead of the release, Rhames and Uppercut co-star Luise Großmann spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about boxing, their instant chemistry on set, and the freedom low-budget filmmaking provides. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for freedom
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freedom
Noun
  • By granting autonomy and ownership over tasks, employees can better manage stress and enhance their sense of accomplishment and contentment.
    Wayne Yu, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Higher levels of autonomy bring the expectation of revenue streams with fatter profit margins, greater flexibility for drivers and safer transportation.
    Detroit News, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Back on board, refuel with the world’s only Alain Ducasse restaurant at sea, which elevates fine dining to new latitudes.
    Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • For those in northern latitudes, tonight could bring a chance to witness the northern lights.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • President Trump celebrated our military, our sovereignty, our heroes, and a young child battling terminal cancer—symbols of the strength and resilience that define this nation.
    Staff report, Hartford Courant, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Emerging technologies like generative AI are powerfully transformative but demand resilient infrastructure capable of adapting to the evolving data sovereignty landscape.
    Hans Dekkers, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • All the mayors, Johnson included, were effective in arguing that their cities’ law enforcement officers cooperate routinely with the feds in enforcing criminal warrants for people in the country without authorization.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Without authorization from the agency, the payouts cannot go forward, the sources said.
    Douglas Gillison, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Oversight Commission are also going to the city’s Police Department for review and investigation, previously raising questions about the true independence of the commission.
    Destiny Torres, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The three most essential components for career progression are competence, self-assuredness, and independence.
    Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Brooklyn also reacquired control of its 2025 and 2026 first-round picks from the Houston Rockets over the summer — a move that seemed to indicate the Nets expected to be picking high.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Instead, the accident was the most significant technical setback for the Starship program since the first full-scale test flight in 2023, which damaged the launch pad before the rocket spun out of control in the upper atmosphere.
    Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 1 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This visit was very important signal for our partners that Kyiv, much more safety right now, and also very important signal that Great Britain stay together with Ukraine, support Ukraine -- support our country in the fight for our freedom, for our independency.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2022
  • Yet the careful reader will appreciate the significance of the Puritan Cromwell’s independency.
    Barton Swaim, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2021
Noun
  • However, an Appeals court has in March 2024 vacated the NRC license provided to Holtec.
    Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The fake New Jersey drivers’ license matched the one used to book a room at the New York hostel, prosecutors have said.
    Kara Scannell, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Freedom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freedom. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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