freedom
noun /ˈfriːdəm/
/ˈfriːdəm/
Idioms - [uncountable, countable] the power or right to do or say what you want without anyone stopping you
- to defend/protect academic freedom
- Press freedom is under attack.
- All groups enjoyed religious freedom.
- As a society we value personal freedom and privacy.
- freedom of something We just want freedom of choice.
- Everyone has the right to freedom of expression.
- freedom of conscience/thought/worship
- The government continues to restrict freedom of movement.
- Enjoy the freedom of the outdoors (= where you can do what you want).
- rights and freedoms guaranteed by the constitution
- freedom to do something complete freedom to do as you wish
- freedom in doing something These proposals would give health authorities greater freedom in deciding how to spend their money.
Culture freedom and rightsfreedom and rightsMany of the rights of US citizens are laid down in the constitution and the first ten amendments to it, which are together called the Bill of Rights. The Constitution was written in the late 1700s to explain not only how the US government would work, but also what limits there would be on its power. At that time, people were beginning to believe that the rights of individuals were important, and that the government was the main threat to those rights. Limiting the federal government's power was also seen as necessary to protect the rights of states within the United States.The UK does not have a written constitution or legal document describing the rights of individuals but for British people freedom to live without the government getting involved is important. Proposals to introduce identity cards for everyone are always resisted and people often talk about the nanny state when they feel the government is interfering in their lives.In the UK and the US the most basic rights include freedom of expression (= freedom to say or write what you think), freedom of choice (= freedom to make decisions about your own life) and freedom of worship (= freedom to practise any religion).Freedom of expression does not imply complete freedom for people to say what they like. In the US the First Amendment protects freedom of speech and of the press but the courts, especially the Supreme Court, decide how it should be applied. For instance, a newspaper is not allowed to print something bad about a person that is known not to be true: this is libel. The courts do not practise prior restraint, which means they cannot stop a newspaper from printing something, but they can punish the newspaper afterwards. However, in a few cases, for example when national security is involved, the courts may order newspapers not to print a report.The right to free speech in the US has not always been respected. In the 1950s, when McCarthyism was at its height, people who were suspected of being Communists were called before Congress to answer questions. People who used their right to free speech and said they believed in Communism, or who took the Fifth (= used their right under the Fifth Amendment not to give evidence against themselves) often lost their jobs or went to prison.In the UK until 1968 all plays had to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain before they could be performed in theatres. Censorship of the press ended in the 1960s. In the 2000s, a number of newspaper journalists were caught listening to and reading people's phone messages, a practice known as phone hacking. As a result, in 2011 a commission was set up under a senior judge, Lord Justice Leveson, to investigate this and other aspects of the British press. The commission proposed that an independent organization should replace the Press Complaints Commission and as a result the Independent Press Standards Organisation was established in 2014.The right of equal opportunity (= the right to be treated the same as others, whatever a person's race, sex, etc.) is enforced in the UK through the Equality Act of 2010. In the US the civil rights movement of the 1960s influenced the making of new laws to protect the rights of minority groups, especially African Americans. In 1972 an Equal Rights Amendment, which would have given women the same rights and opportunities as men, failed to get the support of enough states to be passed. Later, however, several laws were passed making it illegal to discriminate against women. In Britain the Human Rights Act was passed in 1998, which stated that public organizations had to follow the principles listed in the European Convention on Human Rights.People in the UK and the US have always had a much valued right to privacy. However, the question of privacy has been called into question with the increasing popularity of social media websites like Facebook and Instagram. These companies gather people's personal information and sell it to other companies or use it for targeted advertising. Many people feel that this use of their personal information should not be allowed. Another worry people have is that government agencies such as the CIA in the US and GCHQ in the UK collect huge amounts of data about people by tracking their internet history, their emails and their text messages. Governments defend these practices by saying that they are necessary to prevent terrorism (= the use of violence to achieve political aims) and other serious crimes. Despite this, many people are still unhappy about such practices because they feel that their right to privacy is gradually being taken away. The US and British Freedom of Information Acts and the British Data Protection Act allow a person access to information held about them and the opportunity to correct it if it is wrong.In the US several amendments to the Constitution deal specifically with the rights of people suspected or accused of a crime. In the UK recent changes to habeas corpus (= the right of a person detained by the police to be released within 24 hours if not charged) and the right to remain silent when arrested, which were introduced as part of the laws against terrorism, met with strong opposition from many people. If a person is suspected of terrorism it is possible for the police to keep them for 14 days before they are charged. In both the UK and the US the police are heavily criticized if people's rights are infringed.In the US people continue to disagree over an individual's right to own weapons. When this right was included in the Second Amendment, America had just finished fighting for independence. Since the US did not want to keep a permanent army, its defence in the case of future attacks depended on ordinary people having weapons. Many people believe that, since the US now has a professional army, individuals do not need guns, and that the understanding of the amendment should take account of the modern situation. But others want to keep the right to have weapons and resist any changes to the law. This view is put forward especially by the National Rifle Association.Extra Examples- Individual freedom should be balanced against the rights of the community.
- Living without war is a fundamental freedom.
- The new syllabus allows students greater freedom of choice.
- The constitution guarantees freedom of the press.
- This newspaper defends freedom of speech.
- Branch managers have considerable freedom in running their offices.
- I don't want to curtail my daughter's freedom.
- I was enjoying the freedom of not having to go to work.
- Teachers can exercise a measure of freedom in their choice of materials.
- When she lost her job, she at first relished her new-found freedom.
- There has been much talk about encouraging artistic freedom.
- Publishers here enjoy comparative freedom to publish what they want.
- The Official Secrets Act was amended to allow greater freedom of information.
- The party claims it can bring freedom and democracy to the country.
- The constitution contains guarantees of democratic rights and freedoms.
- One of the most basic freedoms is the right to peace.
- The women have won many new freedoms for themselves.
- Thanks to the automobile, Americans soon had a freedom of movement previously unknown.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- full
- maximum
- …
- measure
- enjoy
- have
- enjoy
- …
- freedom from
- freedom in
- freedom of
- …
- freedom of choice
- freedom of expression
- freedom of speech
- …
- [uncountable] the state of not being a prisoner or slave
- He finally won his freedom after twenty years in jail.
- Many slaves who gained their freedom lost it again after the war.
Extra Examples- She laboured as a field hand and house servant until 1849, when she escaped to freedom in the North.
- His inability to resist temptation would eventually cost him his freedom.
- She is told she must write a confession in order to regain her freedom.
Wordfinder- allow
- emancipation
- freedom
- imprisonment
- independence
- liberty
- oppress
- restriction
- rule
- slave
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- full
- maximum
- …
- measure
- enjoy
- have
- enjoy
- …
- freedom from
- freedom in
- freedom of
- …
- freedom of choice
- freedom of expression
- freedom of speech
- …
- [uncountable] the state of not being ruled by a foreign or cruel government
- We believe in freedom and democracy.
- He was a champion of Irish freedom.
- [uncountable] the state of being able to move easily
- The skirt has a side split for freedom of movement.
- freedom to do something Free-range hens have greater freedom to move about.
- [uncountable] freedom from something the state of not being affected by the thing mentioned
- All people should be guaranteed freedom from fear.
- freedom from discrimination based on gender or ethnicity
- freedom from pain and disease
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- complete
- full
- maximum
- …
- measure
- enjoy
- have
- enjoy
- …
- freedom from
- freedom in
- freedom of
- …
- freedom of choice
- freedom of expression
- freedom of speech
- …
- [singular] the freedom of something permission to use something without limits
- I was given the freedom of the whole house.
Word OriginOld English frēodōm (see free, -dom).
Idioms
freedom of/room for manoeuvre
- the chance to change the way that something happens and influence decisions that are made
- Small farmers have limited room for manoeuvre.
Extra Examples- The economic conditions are restricting the bank's freedom of manoeuvre.
- The government has very little room for manoeuvre on this issue.