free hand
5
4.1
- noun
:
libertad de acción
- Beyond those obligatory details, the East Germans were given a free hand in devising their own strategy and spreading the story.
- given a free hand
So they kind of give them a free hand and they are now this is called a blue sky job.
- So they kind of give them a free hand and they are now this is called a blue sky job.
Examples
-
The Concertación had agreed to give President Aylwin a free hand in selecting his cabinet.
Academic text (1992) -
But I have to have a free hand.
-
I have a free hand.
-
I want that officer given a free hand.
-
Under existing legislation, most countries have given themselves a pretty free hand in answering these questions.
Academic text (1991) -
He's to have a free hand in his experiments and will be answerable to no one but myself.
-
The manager wanted to give her team a free hand to try new ideas without fearing failure.
-
In this project, you'll have a free hand to make decisions as you see fit.
-
During the negotiations, they allowed us a free hand to choose the best terms for the agreement.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped
96
5.1
Freedom to decide what to do in a situation
28
5.7
Freedom to make your own decisions and act independently
15
4.1
Freedom to act and make choices without someone controlling you
11
8.1
Freedom to act without asking permission
10
3.5
The right to choose what to think and do without unfair control by others
9
4.6
Freedom to act or spend money without limits
9
3.2
The freedom to act, speak, or think without unnecessary restriction
1
3.6
Freedom to make decisions and act without strict limits
1
6.9
Can act without supervision and decide what to do
Allow someone to act freely and make their own choices
Antonyms
How Free
Surface Forms
Morphology
The element 'free' (not restricted) relates clearly to the MWE meaning, but the use of 'hand' here is a metonymic/figurative extension (hand = control/authority) that a B1 learner who only knows the literal senses may not reliably infer. Because part of the meaning is directly compositional while the crucial 'hand' = 'authority/freedom to act' sense is conventional and somewhat figurative, the expression is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Free hand comes from the image of someone whose hand is free, not tied or held back, so they can act as they like. That's why it means 'the freedom to act' or to make decisions without being restricted.