freewoman
/ˈfriːˌwʊmən/noun
1A woman who is (personally or politically) free; especially a woman who is not a slave.
- In later use the one-word form has tended to be used exclusively with reference to freedom from slavery, whereas when referring to political freedom the two words are more likely to be used as a transparent collocation..
2A woman who possesses the freedom of a city, borough, company, etc.
3Usually as two words. A woman who holds liberal, unconventional, or feminist views concerning the conventions traditionally governing feminine behaviour; a woman who does not abide by, or considers herself free of, such conventions.
Origin
Middle English; earliest use found in St. Margaret. From free + woman. Compare Old English frēowīf freewoman, Middle High German vrīwīp freewoman. Compare also Dutch vrijvrouw member of the lower nobility, Middle High German vrīvrouwe freewoman (German Freifrau, now only as a title of lower nobility).