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Glite Dictionary
freedwoman

freedwoman

1 9.5
A woman who used to be a slave and is now free
  • noun
  • /ˈfriːdˌwʊmən/
translation icon : mujer liberada
  • As a freedwoman, she fought tirelessly for the rights of others who were still enslaved.

Examples

  • "Susan Merritt, a freedwoman from Rusk County, Texas, remembered seeing black bodies floating down the Sabine River, and said of local whites: "There sure are going to be lots of souls crying against them in Judgement.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Undeterred, Blacker searched the county for a literate freedwoman capable of handling a large number of students under adverse conditions while receiving minimal compensation.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The freedwoman spoke bravely about her experiences during and after slavery.

  • In her community, the freedwoman became a symbol of hope and resilience.

Synonyms

freedperson
vsfreedwoman
8.4

A person who used to be a slave and no longer is one

is specific to female persons rather than gender-neutral usage
mawali
vsfreedwoman
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who used to be a slave and is now officially free

is the gendered modern term for someone released from slavery
freewoman
vsfreedwoman
9.3

A woman who is not a slave and has legal rights

is used for someone who was enslaved and then released rather than always free
freeperson
vsfreedwoman
  • Archaic
9.3

A person who is not a slave and can own land and live freely

is specific to female individuals who were enslaved and then released

Antonyms

slave
746 3.4

A person legally owned by someone else who must work without pay or freedom

How Free

citizen
∞ 1.4
freewoman
9.3
freedwoman
1 9.5
slave
746 3.4

Surface Forms

freedwoman singular
freedwomen plural

Morphology

freedwoman = freed + woman (transparent) = free + woman + ed

Formed by free + -ed -> 'freed' and then compounded with 'woman'; the meaning 'a woman who has been freed' is directly recoverable.

Etymology

Freedwoman is made of two simple parts: freed (made 'free') and woman, so it literally means a woman who has been released from slavery. Think of it as a 'free woman' after slavery ended, which is why the word refers to someone who was once a slave but is now free.