another word for the freedom of speech

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• freedom of expression

noun as in civil liberty

Strongest matches

• civil rights
• freedom of religion
• freedom of speech

Weak matches

• constitutional freedom
• constitutional rights
• Four Freedoms
• freedom from fear
• freedom from want
• freedom of worship
• God-given right
• political liberty

noun as in freedom of speech

• free speech
• lack of censorship

Example Sentences

The bad news (especially for Snowden): it's also been having some freedom-of-expression problems lately.

Related Words

Words related to freedom of expression are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word freedom of expression . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in fundamental individual rights

noun as in right to speak freely

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Look up a word, learn it forever.

Freedom of speech.

Other forms: freedoms of speech

The phrase freedom of speech refers to a citizen's right to speak her own opinions without being punished by a government. In the United States, the First Amendment to the Constitution specifically protects freedom of speech .

The First Amendment right to freedom of speech is considered one of the most basic political rights by many Americans, and it has great importance to most people throughout the world. When a person has freedom of speech, he is free to communicate his ideas fully, as long as he doesn't incite violence or tell harmful lies about another person. The importance of this civil right is reflected by the fact that it's the first of the ten amendments making up the US Bill of Rights.

• noun the right to express your ideas and opinions, a right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution synonyms: free speech see more see less type of: civil right right or rights belonging to a person by reason of citizenship including especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th amendments and subsequent acts of Congress including the right to legal and social and economic equality

Vocabulary lists containing freedom of speech

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What is another word for freedom of speech ?

Synonyms for freedom of speech free·dom of speech, this thesaurus page includes all potential synonyms, words with the same meaning and similar terms for the word freedom of speech ., princeton's wordnet.

• freedom of speech noun

a civil right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution

Matched Categories

• Civil Right

Suggested Resources

Freedom of speech.

Read the full text of the Freedom Of Speech poem by Trim on the Poetry.com website.

How to pronounce freedom of speech?

How to say freedom of speech in sign language, how to use freedom of speech in a sentence.

Bill Shine :

Rumors flying around that FEMA is ready to round you up and take you off to a concentration camp, forget about socialism. I think we're headed towards full blown communism and forget about your freedom of speech. Radio hosts are being kicked off the air for suggesting that we close our borders and stay away from illegal immigrants. Are you kidding me? What is going on? I am willing to get kicked off the air. Here I am. Come and get me. I am going down with a fight. Why on earth are we not allowed to have this conversation? There's a country that has a full blown epidemic and it's called Mexico. Why on earth is it racist for us to say we need to close our borders to them at this time?

Republican Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner :

This is a fundamental issue protecting employees’ rights, their freedom of speech, and their rights as employees.

City Mayor Tom Bogue :

And it is an issue that has to be dealt with, because every elected official — while they do have their freedom of speech — also has to understand there’s consequences, or potential consequences, with what they say.

Mark Twain :

It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them.

Lisa McClain :

Freedom of speech is one of the founding principles of our country, and right now, our military servicemembers' careers are in jeopardy if they dare to be conservative, this cancel culture is getting out of control and it's seeping into every aspect of American life.

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Freedom of speech synonyms

What is another word for freedom of speech .

• free speech right to speak freely
• freedom of expression right to speak freely
• lack of censorship right to speak freely
• freedom of religion
• freedom from fear
• freedom from want
• first amendment
• civil rights
• human rights
• God-given rights
• civil liberties
• constitutional rights
• freedoms of citizens
• legal rights
• natural rights
• rights of citizenship
• unalienable rights
• legal right
• God-given right
• constitutional freedom
• freedom of worship
• political liberty
• liberty of speech
• civil liberty
• civil right
• four freedoms

Find the synonyms or antonyms of a word

Synonyms for freedom of speech

• free speech
• freedom of expression
• lack of censorship

Définition of freedom of speech

• noun right to speak freely

Words or expressions associated with your search

• academic freedom
• buy freedom of
• carefree and untroubled
• carefreeness
• constitutional freedom
• deep freeze
• deep-freezing
• deliver a speech
• deliver speech
• delivered a speech
• delivered speech
• delivering a speech
• delivers a speech
• figure of speech
• figure speech
• flowery speech
• footloose and fancy-free
• Four Freedoms
• free admission
• free and easy
• free association
• free enterprise
• free-flowing
• free-for-all
• free from strife
• free market
• free of error
• free spirit
• free thinker
• free-thinking
• free ticket
• free-trade area
• free trade area
• freedom from fear
• freedom from want
• freedom of religion
• freedom of speech
• freedom of worship
• freedoms of citizens
• freeman/woman
• Freemasonry
• freethinker
• freethinking
• gat off scot free
• gat off scot-free
• gat off scotfree
• gat scot-free
• gat scot free
• gat scotfree
• gave speech
• gender-free
• get off scot free
• get off scot-free
• get off scotfree
• get scot free
• get scot-free
• get scotfree
• gets off scot-free
• gets off scotfree
• gets scot free
• gets scot-free
• gets scotfree
• getting off scot free
• getting off scot-free
• getting off scotfree
• getting scot free
• getting scot-free
• getting scotfree
• go scot-free
• hard freeze
• keynote speech
• made speechless
• make speechless
• making free
• native speech
• of free will
• of one free will
• of one's free will
• of one's own free will
• of ones free will
• of ones own free will
• of own free will
• part unrestrained by law free trade
• pick up speed
• political views bias-free
• pretty speech
• quicken one's speed
• quicken one speed
• quickened ones speed
• quickened speed
• quickening one speed
• quickening ones speed
• quickens one speed
• reduce speed
• speechlessness
• speechmaker
• speed of sound
• speed track
• speedwalking
• tax-free savings account
• toll-free telephone number
• up to speed
• walking for speed
• with a free hand

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freedom of speech

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Business LibreTexts - Freedom of Speech
• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Freedom of Speech
• University of Washington Pressbooks - Media and Society: Critical Approaches - Censorship and Freedom of Speech
• Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University - Freedom of Speech
• Cornell Law Scholl - Legal Information Institute - Freedom of Speech: Historical Background

Recent News

freedom of speech , right, as stated in the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States , to express information, ideas, and opinions free of government restrictions based on content. A modern legal test of the legitimacy of proposed restrictions on freedom of speech was stated in the opinion by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. in Schenk v. U.S. (1919): a restriction is legitimate only if the speech in question poses a “clear and present danger”—i.e., a risk or threat to safety or to other public interests that is serious and imminent . Many cases involving freedom of speech and of the press also have concerned defamation , obscenity , and prior restraint ( see Pentagon Papers ). See also censorship .

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Freedom of Speech

By: History.com Editors

Updated: July 27, 2023 | Original: December 4, 2017

Freedom of speech—the right to express opinions without government restraint—is a democratic ideal that dates back to ancient Greece. In the United States, the First Amendment guarantees free speech, though the United States, like all modern democracies, places limits on this freedom. In a series of landmark cases, the U.S. Supreme Court over the years has helped to define what types of speech are—and aren’t—protected under U.S. law.

The ancient Greeks pioneered free speech as a democratic principle. The ancient Greek word “parrhesia” means “free speech,” or “to speak candidly.” The term first appeared in Greek literature around the end of the fifth century B.C.

During the classical period, parrhesia became a fundamental part of the democracy of Athens. Leaders, philosophers, playwrights and everyday Athenians were free to openly discuss politics and religion and to criticize the government in some settings.

First Amendment

In the United States, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech.

The First Amendment was adopted on December 15, 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights—the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution . The Bill of Rights provides constitutional protection for certain individual liberties, including freedoms of speech, assembly and worship.

The First Amendment doesn’t specify what exactly is meant by freedom of speech. Defining what types of speech should and shouldn’t be protected by law has fallen largely to the courts.

In general, the First Amendment guarantees the right to express ideas and information. On a basic level, it means that people can express an opinion (even an unpopular or unsavory one) without fear of government censorship.

It protects all forms of communication, from speeches to art and other media.

Flag Burning

While freedom of speech pertains mostly to the spoken or written word, it also protects some forms of symbolic speech. Symbolic speech is an action that expresses an idea.

Flag burning is an example of symbolic speech that is protected under the First Amendment. Gregory Lee Johnson, a youth communist, burned a flag during the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas to protest the Reagan administration.

The U.S. Supreme Court , in 1990, reversed a Texas court’s conviction that Johnson broke the law by desecrating the flag. Texas v. Johnson invalidated statutes in Texas and 47 other states prohibiting flag burning.

When Isn’t Speech Protected?

Not all speech is protected under the First Amendment.

Forms of speech that aren’t protected include:

• Obscene material such as child pornography
• Plagiarism of copyrighted material
• Defamation (libel and slander)
• True threats

Speech inciting illegal actions or soliciting others to commit crimes aren’t protected under the First Amendment, either.

The Supreme Court decided a series of cases in 1919 that helped to define the limitations of free speech. Congress passed the Espionage Act of 1917, shortly after the United States entered into World War I . The law prohibited interference in military operations or recruitment.

Socialist Party activist Charles Schenck was arrested under the Espionage Act after he distributed fliers urging young men to dodge the draft. The Supreme Court upheld his conviction by creating the “clear and present danger” standard, explaining when the government is allowed to limit free speech. In this case, they viewed draft resistant as dangerous to national security.

American labor leader and Socialist Party activist Eugene Debs also was arrested under the Espionage Act after giving a speech in 1918 encouraging others not to join the military. Debs argued that he was exercising his right to free speech and that the Espionage Act of 1917 was unconstitutional. In Debs v. United States the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Espionage Act.

Freedom of Expression

The Supreme Court has interpreted artistic freedom broadly as a form of free speech.

In most cases, freedom of expression may be restricted only if it will cause direct and imminent harm. Shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater and causing a stampede would be an example of direct and imminent harm.

In deciding cases involving artistic freedom of expression the Supreme Court leans on a principle called “content neutrality.” Content neutrality means the government can’t censor or restrict expression just because some segment of the population finds the content offensive.

Free Speech in Schools

In 1965, students at a public high school in Des Moines, Iowa , organized a silent protest against the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to protest the fighting. The students were suspended from school. The principal argued that the armbands were a distraction and could possibly lead to danger for the students.

The Supreme Court didn’t bite—they ruled in favor of the students’ right to wear the armbands as a form of free speech in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District . The case set the standard for free speech in schools. However, First Amendment rights typically don’t apply in private schools.

What does free speech mean?; United States Courts . Tinker v. Des Moines; United States Courts . Freedom of expression in the arts and entertainment; ACLU .

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Definition of freedom of speech noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

freedom of speech

• the right of/to freedom of speech

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freedom of speech

• the right of people to express their opinions publicly without governmental interference, subject to the laws against libel, incitement to violence or rebellion, etc.
• The right to speak without censorship or restraint by the government. Freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment (see also First Amendment ) to the Constitution . ( See clear and present danger .)

Word History and Origins

Origin of freedom of speech 1

Example Sentences

This was a freedom-of-speech issue, not a sex-offense trial.

Other community leaders quickly became involved, citing freedom-of-speech issues.

More About Freedom Of Speech

What is freedom of speech .

Freedom of speech is the right to express yourself publicly without the government interfering.

In the United States, the freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States through the First Amendment . (In other countries, freedom of speech may be protected or restricted based on a country’s constitution or laws.)

Although the term contains the word speech , freedom of speech extends to nonverbal means of expression, such as writing books, drawing pictures, wearing certain clothing, or performing dances.

Freedom of speech is often thought to mean that you can express yourself however you want in person or in media (including on the internet) without government interference. as long as you don’t break the law. In most cases, this is true in the U.S., since the Supreme Court has often ruled that the government can only restrict a citizen’s free speech if there is a credible fear of danger or threat.

However, there are some forms of expression that are not considered to be protected by the right to freedom of speech , such as speech that is thought to encourage sedition or insurrection against the government. Similarly, threatening to harm someone can be considered a criminal offense. The classic example of the kind of speech that is not protected is shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater (when it is not true)—due to it being potentially dangerous to others (the people in the theater).

There are some aspects of freedom of speech that are often misunderstood. The Constitution only protects your right to freedom of speech from the government. A private business, such as a social media platform or the company you work for, can restrict your speech if it violates their rules or negatively impacts their business. This is why social media platforms can ban people for violating the terms of service and why companies can legally terminate employees for some forms of expression, such as using language around customers that’s considered inappropriate.

Why is freedom of speech important?

In the United States, the right to freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, ratified in 1791. According to the amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech .”

Although the amendment only mentions Congress , the Supreme Court has ruled that no government body can restrict freedom of speech .

The Supreme Court has also ruled that the right of freedom of speech protects even unpopular or offensive speech. For example, burning American flags (that you own) or expressing racist opinions is protected by the First Amendment.

However, the Supreme Court has restricted freedom of speech in certain circumstances that don’t involve threats or illegal activity, such as defamation , libel , fighting words , obscenity , and false advertising.

Besides these instances, the government is also able to restrict the freedom of speech of government employees. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can legally punish broadcasters who don’t make an effort to prevent children from being exposed to content considered inappropriate.

Did you know … ?

The United Nations considers freedom of speech a universal human right . This stance was established in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948.

What are real-life examples of freedom of speech ?

This photograph shows Vietnam War protesters outside the White House. The government cannot silence peaceful protests like this one due to the right of freedom of speech .

“Anti-Vietnam war protest and demonstration in front of the White House in support of singer Eartha Kitt” by Warren K Leffer and Thomas O’Halloran. Source: Library of Congress

In general, Americans are fiercely protective of their freedom of speech , although many people do not realize that private companies can limit speech.

I'm so thankful for freedom of speech. — David Hogg (@davidhogg111) November 21, 2018

Freedom of speech is essential to every function of our country. Medicine too. — Dr. David Samadi (@drdavidsamadi) July 30, 2020

What other words are related to freedom of speech ?

• First Amendment

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

The right to freedom of speech only applies to verbal communication.

Synonyms of freedom

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• as in latitude
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Thesaurus Definition of freedom

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sovereignty
• independence
• independency
• emancipation
• self - determination
• self - governance
• self - government
• manumission
• enfranchisement

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• imprisonment
• subjugation
• enslavement
• incarceration
• enchainment
• authorization
• carte blanche
• blank check

Synonym Chooser

How is the word freedom different from other nouns like it?

The words liberty and license are common synonyms of freedom . While all three words mean "the power or condition of acting without compulsion," freedom has a broad range of application from total absence of restraint to merely a sense of not being unduly hampered or frustrated.

When could liberty be used to replace freedom ?

In some situations, the words liberty and freedom are roughly equivalent. However, liberty suggests release from former restraint or compulsion.

In what contexts can license take the place of freedom ?

While in some cases nearly identical to freedom , license implies freedom specially granted or conceded and may connote an abuse of freedom.

Examples of freedom in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freedom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Articles Related to freedom

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Thesaurus Entries Near freedom

Cite this entry.

“Freedom.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freedom. Accessed 15 Sep. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on freedom

Nglish: Translation of freedom for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of freedom for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about freedom

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Cass Sunstein (left) and Benjamin Eidelson.

Photos by Grace DuVal

Speech is never totally free

Cass Sunstein suggests universities look to First Amendment as they struggle to craft rules in wake of disruptive protests

Harvard Staff Writer

In the aftermath of student protests that shook campuses last spring, universities across the nation are wrestling with questions about how and when speech should be regulated. Educational institutions could turn to the First Amendment for guidance, said Cass Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University Professor, during a Tuesday talk at Harvard Law School.

Universities should strive to keep a balanced approach to free speech while protecting their educational mission. Cass Sunstein

The First Amendment, adopted in 1791, establishes that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

The amendment, with its prohibition on “abridging” freedoms, might seem absolute. But, Sunstein notes, that is not the case. The legal doctrine that has developed over the decades provides a set of guiding principles that include permissible restrictions, which can help universities fulfill their educational mission while balancing free speech.

“The First Amendment provides something like a diagnosis of problems,” said Sunstein in a dialogue with Professor of Law Benjamin Eidelson about Sunstein’s new book, “Campus Free Speech.” The book offers a case-study framework for resolving dilemmas around speech.

First Amendment principles offer clear guidance when it comes to regulating actions that are considered “true threats,” Sunstein said, such as students who threaten to commit violence against their classmates or destroy buildings or are part of a criminal conspiracy.

In addition, some regulation can be appropriate if it’s essential to an institution’s core mission. Such limits have been allowed for religious and military schools, for instance.

He also noted that private universities are not legally bound by the First Amendment the way public universities and public officials are. Still, he said, free speech is essential to the learning enterprise and universities, as centers of learning, should commit to preserving it.

Allowable restrictions can be based on content of speech, such as when universities ask professors not to discuss certain topics in class. They can be content-neutral, as when they don’t allow loud music in dorms after midnight, or they can be based on viewpoint, such as when professors are hired for their political views for the sake of intellectual diversity.

But universities should strive to keep a balanced approach to free speech while protecting their educational mission, said Sunstein.

“The idea of the educational mission being a permission slip for universities to regulate speech seems to me both essential and rightly evocative of the phrase ‘That way lies madness,’” said Sunstein. “Suppose there is a faculty member who thinks America is rotten to the core, there may be students who think, ‘America is the opposite of rotten to the core’ and ‘How can I learn from someone who despises my nation?’ The idea that leading to discomfort or feeling of something like exclusion as a basis for regulating speech is like the heckler’s veto, and that is not consistent with the kind of pluralism educational institutions prize.”

Besides serving as a manual or diagnostic tool, free-speech principles can also serve as a source of inspiration. Sunstein said that while writing his book he was inspired by the writings of some Supreme Court justices. He said he was particularly moved by the words of Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson, who wrote the landmark ruling in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette . The 1943 decision established that the First Amendment protects students from being compelled to salute the American flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools.

“Justice Jackson wrote, ‘Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard,’” said Sunstein. “There are lots of graveyards. They’re all quiet. And that’s not what we need at the greatest arsenal for democracy that is America’s educational institutions.”

He said the nation’s colleges and universities could also learn from the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who wrote a famous defense of free speech in Abrams v. United States in 1919.

“First Amendment principles as developed over a very long period by judges of very diverse predilections have, broadly speaking, to be celebrated and honored rather than deplored,” said Sunstein. “Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. said, ‘We protect speech, the speech we hate and that we believe to be fraught with death.’ That’s quite a sentence for a Supreme Court justice to write, and it’s a good sentence.”

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Russian President Putin underlines importance of freedom of speech

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of freedom of speech and information in an address to a media summit on Saturday, in comments seen as absurd by critics of his policy of eliminating dissent.

"At a time when the complicated process of multipolarity is developing, it is particularly important to protect the principles of information reliability," Putin said in a video message to the participants of the BRICS media summit in Moscow on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of TASS state news agency.

"Real freedom of speech, which reflects different opinions, enables the search for compromises and common approaches to solving the world's problems," Putin added.

Media play a significant role in building a just world order by giving people "an objective and unadulterated picture of the world," Putin said.

However, Russians have little in the way of freedom of speech and media in the nation's increasingly authoritarian climate.

TASS Russian news agency, set up in 1904, has had a range of names and designations and is the country's largest news agency. It is also seen as a government mouthpiece.

Media outlets that do not align with the Kremlin's statements and values have been banned and shut down and government opponents are persecuted by the judiciary.

The Kremlin doubled down on critics of its war on Ukraine, launched in 2022, and many Russian groups opposed to the war have been declared undesirable organizations, for example.

Once designated undesirable, the groups are in effect banned, in a move that affects media outlets and human rights organizations alike.

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Juneteenth: A Celebration of Freedom and Resilience

When Frederick Douglass delivered his speech “What to the slave is the 4th of July?” in 1852 before the start of the Civil War, he laid bare the distance between the country’s founding ideals and the reality of life for millions of enslaved people. Thirteen years later, on June 19, 1865, 2,000 Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of both the Civil War and slavery to 250,000 people still in bondage. 

Juneteenth, sometimes referred to as our country’s second Independence Day, became a time of celebration in Texas that has spread across the nation to recognize the resilience and freedom of African Americans. 

With the stroke of a pen in 2021, President Biden made June 19th the newest federal holiday, which he described it one year later as, “a day to reflect on both bondage and freedom — a day of both pain and purpose. It is, in equal measure, a remembrance of both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, as well as a celebration of the promise of a brighter morning to come.” 

Arriving two weeks before Independence Day, Juneteenth confronts a hard truth about U.S. history. Especially considering that 250,000 Texas slaves – and countless others around our country – were denied their freedom during the period after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. This miscarriage of justice ran counter to the American ideal and the beliefs of people who considered freedom and justice foundations of our nation.

FEMA serves and reflects a nation that is strengthened by its diversity and enhanced when we strive to make equity our North Star. Our mission, our core values and our service to those who turn to us in their times of greatest need and distress represent the best parts of our humanity as we help people before, during and after disasters.

“Great nations do not ignore their most painful moments — they face them,” President Biden noted in the 2022 White House Juneteenth Proclamation. “We grow stronger as a country when we honestly confront our past injustices, including the profound suffering and injustice wrought by slavery and generations of segregation and discrimination against Black Americans. To heal, we must remember. We must never rest until the promise of our Nation is made real for all Americans.”

Or as poet Maya Angelou succinctly put it, “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.”

If you want to learn more about Juneteenth, visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture Juneteenth collection , and the Texas State Historical Association Juneteenth page .