freedom means A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. It carries an Arena rating of 1649, earned across 19 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, freedom ranks #313 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #3,540 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #3,558 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #9,740 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
freedom is pronounced /ˈfɹiːdəm/.
Why “freedom” is a great word
The condition of being unconstrained by external force or the will of another. From Middle English *fredom*, *freedom*, from Old English *frēodōm* ("freedom, state of free-will, emancipation"), from Proto-West Germanic *frijadōm* ("freedom"), equivalent to *free* + *-dom* (suffix denoting state or condition). Unlike "liberty," which often implies a right conferred within a system, or "license," which suggests freedom pushed into excess, freedom is the more fundamental, abstract absence of the yoke. It is the deep breath taken after a door closes behind you, the uncharted blankness of a new page, the sudden space where a wall had been—the terrible, exhilarating recognition that the next step belongs entirely to you.
Etymology
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”).
name
- A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California.
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- A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Sanpete County, Utah.
- A number of places in the United States:; A town in Forest County, Wisconsin.
noun
- The state of being free.e.g.“Having recently been released from prison, he didn't know what to do with his newfound freedom.”
- The lack of a specific constraint, or of constraints in general; a state of being free, unconstrained.e.g.“Freedom of speech is a basic democratic value.”
- The right or privilege of unrestricted use or accesse.g.“Freedom of a city”
- Frankness; openness; unreservedness.
- Improper familiarity; violation of the rules of decorum.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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