Wiktionary

-free

See also: free

English

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *preyH-
Proto-Indo-European *-ós
Proto-Indo-European *priHós
Proto-Germanic *frijwaz
Proto-West Germanic *friu
Old English frēo
Middle English -fre
English -free

    From Middle English -fre, -freo (as in scotfre, gauelfre, gafolfreo, etc.), from Old English -frēo ("free; free from"; as in scotfrēo, gafolfrēo), from Proto-West Germanic *-frī (“-free”). Compare Dutch -vrij (“-free”), German -frei (“-free”), Danish -fri (“-free”), Swedish -fri (“-free”), Norwegian -fri (“-free”). More at free.

    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -free (adjective-forming suffix, not comparable)

    1. Free from; devoid of; without.
      • 2022 March 25, Sandee LaMotte, “Dangerous chemicals found in food wrappers at major fast-food restaurants and grocery chains, report says”, in CNN‎[1], archived from the original on 11 July 2024:
        Sweetgreen told CNN the company was “proud to share that we are currently in the process of rolling out new PFAS-free focaccia bags that will be available in all Sweetgreen locations by the end of Q2.”

    Usage notes

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    • In words where the suffix -less implies a lack of something that should be there, -free is sometimes used to reframe that absence as an intentional or beneficial state. For example, childless and childfree, saltless and saltfree, or carless and carfree.

    Synonyms

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    Derived terms

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    English terms suffixed with -free
    acid-free
    ad-free
    alcohol-free
    bilge-free
    bugfree
    caffeine-free
    cage-free
    carbon-free
    carefree
    car-free
    carfree
    cell-free
    chemical-free
    child-free
    class-free
    cloudfree
    clutter-free
    clutterfree
    conflict-free
    contact-free
    content-free
    context-free
    cost-free
    crime-free
    crimefree
    cruelty-free
    cubefree
    dairy-free
    debt-free
    disease-free
    distribution-free
    dogfree
    draught-free
    DRM-free
    drugfree
    dust-free
    dustfree
    duty-free
    envy-free
    error-free
    errorfree
    exhaust-free
    fact-free
    fancy-free
    fat-free
    fault-free
    gender-free
    germ-free
    gluten-free
    glutenfree
    GM-free
    GMO-free
    guestfree
    guiltfree
    hands-free
    hassle-free
    hasslefree
    heart-free
    human-free
    ice-free
    interest-free
    Jew-free
    lactose-free
    lead-free
    leadfree
    legacy-free
    lensfree
    license-free
    lintfree
    maintenance-free
    meshfree
    niggerfree
    noise-free
    nuclear-free
    pain-free
    pest-free
    pet-free
    phone-free
    point-free
    pollution-free
    post-free
    rainfree
    rangefree
    rattle-free
    region-free
    rent-free
    risk-free
    riskfree
    royalty-free
    rust-free
    salt-free
    saltfree
    scalefree
    scot-free
    screen-free
    seamfree
    semantics-free
    shearfree
    shot-free
    side-effect-free
    sin-free
    smoke-free
    smokefree
    snow-free
    square-free
    squarefree
    step-free
    stress-free
    stressfree
    sugar-free
    sugarfree
    sulphur-free
    tax-free
    tinfree
    tobacco-free
    toll-free
    touch-free
    touchfree
    traffic-free
    triangle-free
    trouble-free
    troublefree
    twistfree
    value-free
    visa-free
    water-free
    waterfree
    woke-free
    woodfree
    workfree
    worry-free
    wrinkle-free
    xenofree

    Translations

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    See also translations of individual words formed from this combining form

    Anagrams

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