freely

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: frē'lē, IPA^(key): /ˈfɹili/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːli

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English frely, freelich, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English frēolīc (“free, freeborn, glorious, stately, magnificent, noble, beautiful, charming”), equivalent to free +‎ -ly. Compare Middle Low German vrilik, vrigelik (“free”), Middle High German vrīlich (“free”).

Alternative forms

• frely (Scotland)

Adjective

freely (comparative freelier or more freely, superlative freeliest or most freely)

1. Free; frank.
2. Generous; noble; excellent; beautiful; lovely.

Derived terms

• unfreely

Etymology 2

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English frely, freliche, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old English frēolīċe (“freely, readily, as a festival”), equivalent to free +‎ -ly. Compare Dutch vrijelijk (“freely”), German freilich (“certainly, of course”).

Adverb

freely (comparative freelier or more freely, superlative freeliest or most freely)

1. In a free manner.

   Wine was flowing freely.

2. Without interference or restriction.

   talk freely

3. Of one's own free will.

   I will freely help you.

Related terms

• frankly
• openly
• costlessly

Translations

in a free manner

• Bulgarian: свободно (bg) (svobodno)
• Catalan: lliurement (ca)
• French: librement (fr)
• Galician: libremente
• German: frei (de)
• Italian: liberamente (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Lithuanian: laisvai
• Polish: swobodnie (pl)
• Portuguese: livremente (pt)
• Russian: свобо́дно (ru) (svobódno), во́льно (ru) (vólʹno)
• Spanish: libremente
• Telugu: ఉచితముగా (te) (ucitamugā)

without interference or restriction

• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀνέδην (anédēn)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}