Free State
1
6.1
- proper noun
:
Estado Libre
- In the mid-1800s, the British established the Orange Free State, the South African Republic, and Natal, which surrounded the Lovedu.
- Orange Free State
- Free State, South
- Free State, South Africa
Like, you know, there's not, I think for so long there was such a disassociative piece for me of having to, like I said, come out of that Free State and work.
- Like, you know, there's not, I think for so long there was such a disassociative piece for me of having to, like I said, come out of that Free State and work.
Examples
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The society created in the Irish Free State institutionalized this belief.
Academic text (1995) -
All photographs were taken by Gary N. van Wyk in Free State, South Africa, between 1988 and 1994.
Academic text (1998) -
Orders from the government of the Free State.
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"The agreement will establish a new Irish Free State."
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We'll have an Irish Free State, a government of our own and we can use it to achieve whatever Republic we want.
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The Free State constitution was only printed the morning of the election, - so nobody had time to read it!
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We'll have an Irish Free State, instead of an Irish Republic.
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On Election Day, voters will decide if same-sex couples can legally marry in the Free State.
Blog text (27) -
An unidentified Sotho woman renews the litema patterns on her walls in Free State, South Africa.
Academic text (2002) -
The Free State is known for its stunning landscapes and large agricultural sector.
Synonyms
A former province in central South Africa settled by Dutch farmers, renamed Free State in 1997
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'free' and 'state', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a political entity or region described as 'free', giving a partial clue. However, as a proper name for a specific South African province (formerly Orange Free State) the precise geographic referent and historical sense are not deducible from the constituents alone and require world knowledge or exposure.
Etymology
Free State comes from the older name 'Orange Free State', the name of a small settler country from the 1800s that called itself a 'free' land. After later changes, the province kept the shorter name, so today Free State means the South African province.