–adjective

1.	enjoying personal rights or liberty, as a person who is not in slavery: a land of free people.

2.	pertaining to or reserved for those who enjoy personal liberty: They were thankful to be living on free soil.

3.	existing under, characterized by, or possessing civil and political liberties that are, as a rule, constitutionally guaranteed by representative government: the free nations of the world.

4.	enjoying political autonomy, as a people or country not under foreign rule; independent.

5.	exempt from external authority, interference, restriction, etc., as a person or one's will, thought, choice, action, etc.; independent; unrestricted.

6.	able to do something at will; at liberty: free to choose.

7.	clear of obstructions or obstacles, as a road or corridor: The highway is now free of fallen rock.

8.	not occupied or in use: I'll try to phone her again if the line is free.

9.	exempt or released from something specified that controls, restrains, burdens, etc. (usually fol. by from 1b2 or of): free from worry; free of taxes.

10.	having immunity or being safe (usually fol. by from): free from danger.

11.	provided without, or 236 not subject to, a charge or payment: free parking; a free sample.

12.	given without consideration of a return or reward: a free offer of legal advice.

13.	unimpeded, as motion or movement; easy, firm, or swift.

14.	not held fast; loose; unattached: to get one's arm free.

15.	not joined to or in contact with something else: The free end of the cantilever sagged.

16.	acting without self-restraint or reserve: to be too free with one's tongue.

17.	ready or generous in giving; liberal; lavish: to be free with one's advice.

18.	given readily or in profusion; unstinted.

19.	frank and open; unconstrained, unceremonious, or familiar.

20.	unrestrained by decency; loose or licentious: free behavior.

21.	not subject to special regulations, restrictions, duties, etc.: The ship was given free passage.

22.	of, pertaining to, or characterized by free enterprise: a free economy.

23.	that may be used by or is open to all: a free market.

24.	engaged in by all present; general: a free fight.

25.	not literal, as a translation, adaptation, or the like; loose.

26.	uncombined chemically: free oxygen.

27.	traveling without power; under no force except that of gravity or inertia: free flight.

28.	Phonetics. (of a vowel) situated in an open syllable (opposed to checked ).

29.	at liberty to enter and enjoy at will (usually fol. by of): to be free of a friend's house.

30.	not subject to rules, set forms, etc.: The young students had an hour of free play between classes.

31.	easily worked, as stone, land, etc.

32.	Mathematics. (of a vector) having specified magnitude and direction but no specified initial point. Compare bound 1 (def. 9).

33.	Also, large. Nautical. (of a wind) nearly on the quarter, so that a sailing vessel may sail free.

34.	not containing a specified substance (often used in combination): a sugar-free soft drink.

35.	(of a linguistic form) occurring as an independent construction, without necessary combination with other forms, as most words. Compare bound 1 (def. 11).

36.	without cost, payment, or charge.

–adverb

37.	in a free manner; freely.

38.	Nautical. away from the wind, so that a sailing vessel need not be close-hauled: running free.

–verb (used with object)

39.	to make free; set at liberty; release from bondage, imprisonment, or restraint.

40.	to exempt or deliver (usually fol. by from).

41.	to relieve or rid (usually fol. by of): to free oneself of responsibility.

42.	to disengage; clear (usually fol. by from or of).

—Verb phrase

43.	free up, a. to release, as from restrictions: Congress voted to free up funds for the new highway system. b. to disentangle: It took an hour to free up the traffic jam.

—Idioms

44.	for free, Informal. without charge: The tailor mended my jacket for free.

45.	free and clear, Law. without any encumbrance, as a lien or mortgage: They owned their house free and clear.

46.	free and easy, 23d a. unrestrained; casual; informal. b. excessively or inappropriately casual; presumptuous.

47.	make free with, a. to use as one's own; help oneself to: If you make free with their liquor, you won't be invited again. b. to treat 3e8 with too much familiarity; take liberties with.

48.	set free, to release; liberate; free: The prisoners were set free.

49.	with a free hand, generously; freely; openhandedly: He entertains visitors with a free hand.

–noun

1.	commendation or honor given for some action, quality, etc.: Give credit where it is due.

2.	a source of pride or honor: You are a credit to your school.

3.	the ascription or acknowledgment of something as due or properly attributable to a person, institution, etc.: She got a screen credit for photography.

4.	trustworthiness; credibility: a witness of credit.

5.	confidence in a purchaser's ability and intention to pay, displayed by entrusting the buyer with goods or services without immediate payment.

6.	reputation of solvency and probity, entitling a person to be trusted in buying or borrowing: Your credit is good.

7.	influence or authority resulting from the confidence of others or from one's reputation.

8.	time allowed for payment for goods or services obtained on trust: 90 days' credit.

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9.	repute; reputation; esteem.

10.	a sum of money due to a person; anything valuable standing on the credit side of an account: He has an outstanding credit of $50.

11.	Education. a. official acceptance and recording of the work completed by a student in a particular course of study. b. a credit hour.

12.	Bookkeeping. < 5af /table> a. an entry of payment or value received on an account. b. the right-hand side of an account on which such entries are made (opposed to debit ). c. an entry, or the total shown, on the credit side.

13.	any deposit or sum of money against which a person may draw.

–verb (used with object)

14.	to believe; put confidence in; trust; have faith in.

15.	to bring honor, esteem, etc., to; reflect well upon.

16.	Bookkeeping. to enter upon the credit side of an account; give credit for or to.

17.	Education. to award educational credits to (often fol. by with): They credited me with three hours in history.

—Verb phrase

18.	credit to or with, to ascribe to a (thing, person, etc.): In former times many herbs were credited with healing powers.

—Idioms

19.	do someone credit, to be a source of honor or distinction for someone. Also, do credit to someone.

20.	on credit, by deferred payment: Everything they have was bought on credit.

21.	to one's credit, deserving of praise or recognition; admirable: It is to his credit that he freely admitted his guilt.

–noun

1.	an account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as the result of observation, inquiry, etc.: a report on the peace conference; a medical report on the patient.

2.	a statement or announcement.

3.	a widely circulated statement or item of news; rumor; gossip.

4.	an account of a speech, debate, meeting, etc., esp. as taken down for publication.

5.	a loud noise, as from an explosion: the report of a distant cannon.

6.	a statement of a student's grades, level of achievement, or academic standing for or during a prescribed period of time.

7.	Computers. output, esp. printed, containing organized information.

8.	a statement of a judicial opinion or decision, or of a case argued and determined in a court of justice.

9.	reports, Law. a collection of adjudications.

10.	repute; reputation; fame: a man of bad report. < 3e8 /span>

–verb (used with object)

11.	to carry and repeat, as an answer or message; repeat, as what one has heard.

12.	to relate, as what has been learned by observation or investigation.

13.	to give or render a formal account or statement of: to report a deficit.

14.	to send back (a bill, amendment, etc.) to a legislative body with a formal report outlining findings and recommendations (often fol. by out): The committee reported out the bill.

15.	to make a charge against (a eda person), as to a superior: I intend to report him to the dean for cheating.

16.	to make known the presence, condition, or whereabouts of: to report a ship missing.

17.	to present (oneself) to a person in authority, as in accordance with requirements.

18.	to take down (a speech, lecture, etc.) in writing.

19.	to write an account of (an event, situation, etc.), as for publication in a newspaper.

20.	to relate or tell.

–verb (used without object)

21.	to prepare, make, or submit a report of something observed, investigated, or the like.

22.	to serve or work as a reporter, as for a newspaper.

23.	to make one's condition or whereabouts known, as to a person in authority: to report sick.

24.	to present oneself duly, as at a place: to report to Room 101.

—Idiom

25.	on report, Military. (of personnel) under restriction pending disciplinary action.