unfree

1 of 2

adjective

un·​free ˌən-ˈfrē How to pronounce unfree (audio)
Synonyms of unfreenext
: not free : lacking freedom
unfree laborers
an unfree decision
unfreedom
ˌən-ˈfrē-dəm How to pronounce unfree (audio)
noun

unfreedom

2 of 2

noun

un·​freedom "+ How to pronounce unfreedom (audio)
: lack of freedom
these newcomers—black and white—toiled under some degree of unfreedom … were bound servants for greater or lesser terms—Oscar Handlin
gains his sense of security by this very unfreedom of conforming—H. A. Overstreet

Examples of unfree in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
There are many ways for a country to become unfree. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026 Other places had other forms of unfree or bonded labor. — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 Until a few years ago, millions of Iranians repeatedly voted in the country’s mostly unfree elections, hoping that regime insiders could pave a path for reform. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026 His brother, god of hunting and tracking, is caught in the cruel paradox of parole — somehow still unfree and searching for liberty and purpose, yearning for the seeming escape of his own car on the open road, always in danger of being hunted down himself. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unfree

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unfree was in the 15th century

Rhymes for unfree

See All Rhymes for unfree

Browse Nearby Words

unfraught
unfree
unfreedom
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unfree.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unfree. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on unfree

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for unfree

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All