free speech
noun
: speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
also
: the right to such speech
an unconstitutional restraint on free speech —
Nat'l Law Jour.
Nat'l Law Jour. Examples of free speech in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Musk said such moves could contradict principles of free speech, raising broader implications for social media and internet freedom.
—Detroit Free Press, 27 Apr. 2024
Since then, hundreds of students have set up similar encampments from California to Massachusetts, leading to a national debate over free speech on college campuses as some Jewish students and administrators say the demonstrations have at times been sites of antisemitism.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
At the heart of these conflicts is a debate over free speech and how far schools should go in cutting ties with Israel.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
Her testimony followed months of debate and argument over free speech on campus.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
People go to college for all sorts of reasons, but one of them is surely to learn about the world and figure out their place in it, including their right to free speech and peaceful assembly.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
For the past few years, the prevailing narrative, culturally dominant even when not entirely justified by the facts, has been that conservatives are champions of free speech and progressives are delicate snowflakes who can’t handle challenging ideas.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
Apr 24, 2:34 PM White House condemns antisemitism, defends free speech on college campuses
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed on Wednesday the ongoing student protests taking place at Columbia University and other colleges across the country.
—Abc News, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024
TikTok says its app’s existence is a matter of free speech, similar to Elon Musk’s claims around X’s content moderation policies lately.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Detroit Free Press, 27 Apr. 2024
Since then, hundreds of students have set up similar encampments from California to Massachusetts, leading to a national debate over free speech on college campuses as some Jewish students and administrators say the demonstrations have at times been sites of antisemitism.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 26 Apr. 2024
At the heart of these conflicts is a debate over free speech and how far schools should go in cutting ties with Israel.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 26 Apr. 2024
Her testimony followed months of debate and argument over free speech on campus.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
People go to college for all sorts of reasons, but one of them is surely to learn about the world and figure out their place in it, including their right to free speech and peaceful assembly.
—Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
For the past few years, the prevailing narrative, culturally dominant even when not entirely justified by the facts, has been that conservatives are champions of free speech and progressives are delicate snowflakes who can’t handle challenging ideas.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
Apr 24, 2:34 PM White House condemns antisemitism, defends free speech on college campuses
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed on Wednesday the ongoing student protests taking place at Columbia University and other colleges across the country.
—Abc News, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2024
TikTok says its app’s existence is a matter of free speech, similar to Elon Musk’s claims around X’s content moderation policies lately.
—Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'free speech.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near free speech
Cite this Entry
“Free speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20speech. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
free speech
noun1
: speech that is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
setting off an alarm bell is not free speech—A. M. Dershowitz
A. M. Dershowitz2
: freedom of speech
an unconstitutional restraint on free speech—National Law Journal
National Law JournalLove words? Need even more definitions?
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