Meaning & use
a free spirit
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Meaning
nouncountableapproving
A person who lives the way they choose and does not follow what other people expect.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'the' and add 's' for the plural: two free spirits.
Patterns
- be a free spirit
- a bit of a free spirit
- a real free spirit
My aunt is a free spirit who travels whenever she can.
He has always been a free spirit, never staying in one job for long.
As a free spirit, she hates being told what to do.
Word forms
| plural | free spirits |
|---|
Common combinations
- a bit of a free spirit
- My brother is a bit of a free spirit and rarely plans ahead.
- a true free spirit
- She is a true free spirit who follows her own path.
- live like a free spirit
- After retiring, he began to live like a free spirit.
- a free spirit at heart
- Even in a strict office, she remained a free spirit at heart.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nonconformist
- 'Nonconformist' is more formal and often critical; 'free spirit' is usually positive.
- individualist
- 'Individualist' stresses doing things your own way, often in a serious, neutral tone.
- bohemian
- 'Bohemian' often suggests an artistic, unconventional lifestyle, while 'free spirit' is broader.
Opposites
Word family
- spirit noun
- The part of a person that includes their character and feelings.
- free-spirited adjective
- Acting independently and not following strict rules.
Commonly confused: a free spirit or free spirit?
a free spirit vs free spirit
Do not confuse with 'free speech', which means the right to say what you think.
Practice
Emma is a free spirit; she never follows ___ crowd.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'follow the crowd', meaning to do what everyone else does. 'A crowd' would suggest one specific group, which is not the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a free spirit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.