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
The announcement drew immediate condemnation from some faculty and free speech groups, who accused the university of caving to President Donald Trump's largely unprecedented intrusion upon the school's academic freedom.
—arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Taal's attorneys called the development a free speech assault.
—Kanishka Singh, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Students on visas are already under threat from the State Department for exercising their free speech rights.
—Bastiaan Vanacker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Flashback: Musk also opened his wallet during the closing days of the 2024 presidential campaign, when his PAC announced a $1 million giveaway for Pennsylvania voters who signed a petition in support of free speech and gun-owners' rights.
—Alex Isenstadt, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
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arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Taal's attorneys called the development a free speech assault.
—Kanishka Singh, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
Students on visas are already under threat from the State Department for exercising their free speech rights.
—Bastiaan Vanacker, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
Flashback: Musk also opened his wallet during the closing days of the 2024 presidential campaign, when his PAC announced a $1 million giveaway for Pennsylvania voters who signed a petition in support of free speech and gun-owners' rights.
—Alex Isenstadt, Axios, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free speech
Cite this Entry
“Free speech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20speech. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
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
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