free agent
4
6.3
- noun
- /fri ˈeɪdʒənt/
:
espíritu libre
- He used to be police, now he's what you might call a free agent.
- become a free agent
- act as a free agent
Examples
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Michael Owen remains a free agent in the market, with a couple of clubs still showing signs of interest in him.
Blog text (14) -
So we're all autonomous free agents entering into the market as buyers and sellers.
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And I know a lot of people who are living their professional lives as constant free agents.
Blog text (28) -
Unlike Didier Drogba, the former Newcastle United striker, he is a free agent now.
Blog text (14) -
Maicer Izturis is off the market, and the only other free agents I see who fit the ball are Marco Scutaro and Jeff Keppinger.
Blog text (29) -
When cartoonists (or creative people in general) are free agents and in demand, they often move around for reasons that are nobody's business unless the cartoonists themselves feel like discussing it.
Blog text (9) -
After leaving her job, she felt like a free agent, able to make her own decisions without anyone telling her what to do.
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Being a free agent allows him to travel whenever he wants, as he does not have to answer to a boss.
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After the split, he embraced his life as a free agent, pursuing new adventures without any commitments.
Synonyms
23
4.8
A person who follows their own way and ignores social rules
A person who does what they want without following rules
A person who believes people can choose their actions and acts by their own choice
Antonyms
How Independent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a person who acts independently' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'free' (able to act without constraints) + 'agent' (an actor/representative); the noun phrase simply describes an agent who is free. While specific register nuances (e.g., sports or contractual senses) exist, the core independent-actor sense is transparent and predictable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Free agent is used for a person who acts alone and is not controlled by a group. The words free and agent give the picture of someone able to make their own choices, so free agent means 'a person who acts independently'.