free
1
5.5
- adjective
- /friː/
- The play is a free adaptation of a classic novel, offering fresh insights while maintaining core elements of the original story.
- a free interpretation
Examples
-
The writers of the standards may not have intended free interpretation, but the result today is clear.
Academic text (1995) -
Here's Aristotle speaking and my free translation.
-
The survey asked students to write in free form what they knew about the Civil War.
Academic text (2015) -
It's not the journalist that brings free expression, it is the soldier.
-
It's name derived at all stages from a free rendering of the note or call of the bird.
-
What we have in free verse is continual variety, continual evasion of the norm.
Fiction book (2000) -
Their liturgy is known for its exuberance, spontaneity, free expression, and corporate reverence. 70
Academic text (2015) -
The artist's latest piece is a free interpretation of traditional themes, showcasing her unique style.
-
During the workshop, participants were encouraged to write in a free manner, expressing their thoughts without constraints.
Synonyms
138
3.0
Not strictly organized or controlled, often a group of separate people
1
5.8
Not strict when following rules or texts, allowing a wider meaning
Antonyms
Idioms
1
8.4
To stay constantly in someone's thoughts and annoy them
Compounds
- Formal
177
3.2
The right to say what you think in public without the government stopping you
- Archaic
56
6.7
Countries with non-communist governments that opposed the Soviet Union during the Cold War
- Specialized
39
4.1
An area near a port where companies store goods for export without paying customs duties
38
3.8
A system where private businesses compete and the market sets prices with little government control
- Informal
37
4.2
An excuse that lets someone avoid rules or blame because of their position
- Literature
28
3.0
News media that report independently and are not controlled by the government
- Specialized
16
3.2
A computer program with its code available that you can use, change, and share without paying
12
3.7
An agreement from 1994 that made trade easier between the United States, Canada, and Mexico
- NSFW
12
6.5
Sex between people who are not married, often part of a belief in sexual freedom
- Specialized
10
5.1
A small unstable atom or molecule that can damage body cells by reacting with them
10
3.7
A person who sells their work to different companies or people without a long contract
8
7.2
A belief in religious ideas based on reason and facts rather than on tradition or leaders
- Specialized
6
2.3
A kick given to a team after the other team breaks a rule, taken without nearby opponents
- Archaic
6
6.9
A state where laws did not allow people to own slaves before the American Civil War
5
3.9
A person who supports trade between countries without import taxes or other barriers
5
3.2
A way of eating that avoids foods with gluten for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance
- Specialized
2
6.8
A way of saying the first thought that comes to your mind to find hidden feelings
2
4.7
Supporting a system where private businesses compete with little government control
- Specialized
1
4.1
A part of a port where businesses bring, store, and send goods without paying taxes
- Specialized
1
4.9
An electron not attached to an atom that can move freely and carry electricity
1
5.1
Armed forces and political movement led by Charles de Gaulle who resisted German occupation in World War II
- Specialized
1
6.4
A living thing that lives on its own and not on another animal or plant
- Formal
1
4.1
A way of running an economy that lets businesses compete with little government control
- Formal
1
5.9
An official act that forgives someone for a crime and ends their legal punishments
1
8.5
A small bat that flies fast, eats insects, and has a tail sticking out past the skin between its wings
- Archaic
1
9.9
Of states or territories in the United States that did not allow slavery before the Civil War
1
8.1
A former province in central South Africa settled by Dutch farmers, renamed Free State in 1997
1
8.1
A former 19th century US party that opposed slavery spreading into western lands
- Specialized
1
9.1
A thin metal tongue that vibrates in a slot to make sound in harmonicas or accordions
- Specialized
1
7.9
A wind instrument that makes sound when air moves a thin reed, like an accordion or harmonica
How Literal
Surface Forms
Etymology
Free in the sense of a loose translation keeps the image of 'not tied' to the exact words; a 'free' version is not bound to literal wording. So a free interpretation lets the speaker change words to keep the idea or feeling.