FREEDOM Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'freedom' different from other nouns like it?

The words liberty and license are common synonyms of freedom . While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated. // freedom of the press

Q: When could 'liberty' be used to replace 'freedom'?

In some situations, the words liberty and freedom are roughly equivalent. However, liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion. // the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

Q: In what contexts can 'license' take the place of 'freedom'?

While in some cases nearly identical to freedom , license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom. // freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

freedom

noun

ˈfrē-dəm

Definition of freedom

as in independence

the state of being free from the control or power of another we owe our freedom to the untold numbers of soldiers who have fought in our nation's wars since its founding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in latitude

the right to act or move freely as special guests of the owners, the youngsters had full freedom of the resort and its private beach

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word freedom different from other nouns like it?

The words liberty and license are common synonyms of freedom. While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

freedom of the press

When could liberty be used to replace freedom?

In some situations, the words liberty and freedom are roughly equivalent. However, liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

the released prisoner had difficulty adjusting to his new liberty

In what contexts can license take the place of freedom?

While in some cases nearly identical to freedom, license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

freedom without responsibility may degenerate into license

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of freedom But on the marathon course, that wheelchair has become a path to freedom. — Elissa Candiotti, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 However, rather than the courageous grand duchesses who fought for the freedom of their people far away, the author was fascinated by the suffragette movement of the 1910s. — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 Public school choice gives families more freedom to send their children to schools outside their zones, though participating families often need to provide their own transportation. — Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026 Your mission is to aid the ongoing resistance, and the game offers significant freedom in how to approach mission objectives. — Jason Cohen, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for freedom

Recent Examples of Synonyms for freedom

Noun

The program uses culinary education to build confidence, independence, creativity and life skills while introducing students to potential careers in the culinary arts.

— Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
Reiterating its 2019 call for Kavala’s release, the court declared his life-without-parole conviction null and void and found multiple violations of fundamental rights and judicial independence guarantees.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of independence

Noun

The creators pitched that show all over town, but the only offer came from a single executive at HBO Max who had the vision, the institutional latitude, and the creative conviction to champion an unconventional project.

— Mike Schur, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Observed from lower latitudes, the orbital parade of satellites would peak in brightness at sunrise and sunset; toward the poles, the constellations would be bright and visible for most of the night during winter and the equinoxes.

— Arielle Frommer, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of latitude

Noun

San Manuel Nation, a partner of the Dodgers for more than a decade, is actively fighting against prediction markets, believing their availability in California violates tribal sovereignty.

— Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 24 Aug. 2026
That lofty rhetoric will now meet reality, demonstrating how much economic pain a nation is willing to face to secure its political sovereignty.

— Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of sovereignty

Noun

Yet the careful reader will appreciate the significance of the Puritan Cromwell’s independency.

— Barton Swaim, WSJ, 27 Dec. 2021
His seemingly daily attacks on freedom of speech, the independency of the judiciary, the right to vote and other pillars of our constitutional system are bolstered by an intensely loyal fan base.

— Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2020

Definition of independency

Noun

Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over concerns regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and reports of police abusing the tool.

— Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
According to the sheriff's office, Awais used his property-management companies and his relationships with association board members to exert control over the organizations' operations and finances.

— Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of control

Noun

For many, the Obama presidency felt like a time when America’s founding principles of equality and liberty for all were finally being realized.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
Through first-person testimonies and family photos from California communities, the show confronts family separations, civil-liberties violations and the long shadow of deportation campaigns on Mexican American life.

— Isa Farfan, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of liberty

Noun

As Itauma continued attempting to throw power punches, Hrgović knew his opponent had nothing left and went for the kill.

— Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
The last act before festival founder Olivia Rodrigo, Roan turned it out with all of her powers—bolstered by a bold and bitchy, razor-sharp bob.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of power

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freedmen

freedom

freedoms

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“Freedom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freedom. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of freedom

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