noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F R IY1 TH IH1 NG K ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A person who has formed their opinions using reason and rational enquiry; somebody who has rejected dogma, especially with regard to religion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person with no religion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Malaysia, Singapore
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deist
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: nonreligious person
History
Etymology
From free + thinker, since 1692.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
ազատամիտ
(azatamit)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Belarusian:
вальнаду́мец
(valʹnadúmjec)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Belarusian:
вальнаду́мка
(valʹnadúmka)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Catalan:
lliurepensador
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Catalan:
lliurepensadora
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Danish:
fritænker
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Esperanto:
liberpensulo
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Finnish:
vapaa-ajattelija
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
French:
libre-penseur
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
French:
libre-penseuse
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Galician:
librepensador
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Galician:
librepensadora
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Georgian:
თავისუფლად მოაზროვნე
(tavisuplad moazrovne)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
German:
Freidenker
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
German:
Freidenkerin
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Hungarian:
szabadgondolkodó
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Irish:
saorsmaointeoir
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Italian:
libero pensatore
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Italian:
libero pensatrice
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Kazakh:
еркін ойлы
(erkın oily)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Norwegian Bokmål:
fritenker
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fritenkar
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fritenkjar
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Polish:
wolnomyśliciel
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Polish:
wolnomyślicielka
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Portuguese:
livre-pensador
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Portuguese:
livre-pensadora
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Romanian:
liber-cugetător
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Romanian:
liber-cugetătoare
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Russian:
вольноду̀мец
(volʹnodùmec)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Russian:
свободомы́слящий
(svobodomýsljaščij)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Spanish:
librepensador
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Spanish:
librepensadora
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Ukrainian:
вільноду́мець
(vilʹnodúmecʹ)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Ukrainian:
вільноду́мка
(vilʹnodúmka)
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Welsh:
rhydd-feddyliwr
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
Welsh:
rhydd-feddyliwraig
— person who has formed his or her opinions using reason and rational enquiry
