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Definitions

free hand

NOUN
freedom to act and make decisions
Synonyms
WEAK
carte blanche free choice free course free play free scope free will freedom full scope independence latitude leeway liberty one's choice one's discretion one's initiative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"So I tried to take a pretty free hand with it and kind of plow my own furrow."

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

A new chairman is imposed on a department with a free hand to make whatever appointments he thinks necessary to restore the department to health.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

In the prior regime, Sheridan had been given a free hand creatively and on spending, which Ellison and his new executive team had reportedly signaled might not continue in the same way.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025

EU policy has in effect given Aliyev "a free hand", says Eldar Mamedov, a former Latvian diplomat who served as foreign policy adviser to the European Parliament's Social Democrat group.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

He threaded my free hand through one of his and reached out for you with his other hand.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

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